Sabina Matos (born February 13,1974) is an American politician serving as the 70th lieutenant governor of Rhode Island. Sabina Matos is the first Dominican American elected to statewide office in the United States. Matos also holds the distinction of being the first Black statewide officeholder in Rhode Island.[1]
Matos was born in Paraíso,Barahona,Dominican Republic in 1974.[2] Her mother was a teacher and her father served as mayor of Paraíso.[3] She immigrated to the United States in April 1994,at the age of 20,with her parents and sister. She spoke no English when she moved to the United States,and thought she would return to the Dominican Republic by the end of the year.[2][3][4]
Matos ran for the Ward 15 seat on the Providence City Council in the 2006 elections,losing the Democratic primary to long standing incumbent Josephine DiRuzzo. She challenged DiRuzzo again in 2010,and won.[3] She was a 2014 Aspen Institute Rodel Fellow.[6]
Matos became acting president of the council in May 2017 and served in the role until December 2017.[7] She was elected president of the city council in January 2019.[8] During the 2020 presidential election,she served as one of Rhode Island's four electors.[9]
Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island (2021-present)
On April 9,2021,Matos submitted her resignation from the Providence City Council,effective April 13.[15] Matos was confirmed as lieutenant governor by the State Senate on April 13 by a vote of 34–0 and was sworn into office on April 14.[16] She is the first member of an ethnic minority and the second woman to hold the position.
In the 2022 Democratic primary,Sabina Matos defeated State Representative Deb Ruggiero and State Senator Cynthia Mendes winning with 47.1% of the vote. In the 2022 general election,Matos defeated Republican Aaron Guckian and Independent Ross McCurdy winning with 51.2% of the vote.[17]
In 2022,Matos supported the Tidewater Landing Soccer Stadium deal.[18] The deal was approved after Gov. Dan McKee cast the tie-breaking vote to approve $36 million in previously approved bond funding to pay for the stadium alone,instead of in partnership with adjacent housing and commercial development.[19] The deal was criticized by State Senator Cynthia Mendes,as "a giveaway to 'luxury' housing developers,who then donate to the political campaigns of the people voting for the developments".[19] Matos defended the deal saying it was "a proposal that brings sports back to Pawtucket,builds housing and protects taxpayers".[20]
2023 congressional candidacy
On March 13,2023,Matos announced her candidacy for the special election in Rhode Island's 1st congressional district.[21] Polling released by Matos' campaign in June 2023 found that Matos led the Democratic primary field,where she faced eight opponents.[22] Her candidacy was endorsed by Emily's List,Latino Victory,PODER PAC,Elect Black Women PAC,Elect Democratic Women PAC and Bold PAC,a political action committee associated with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.[23]
In April,Matos falsely claimed 31 endorsements from politicians across the state. The next day,the campaign admitted that despite its initial claims,six of its alleged endorsees did not actually endorse her.[24]
Investigations of campaign signatures
Matos qualified for the ballot,but her campaign was the subject of criminal investigations for submitting fraudulent signatures on campaign nomination papers.[25] On July 17,2023,Jamestown election officials discovered alleged fraudulent signatures on Matos' campaign nomination papers and referred them to the local police.[26] The alleged fraud included names and signatures of five voters who had been dead for multiple years.[26] In the following days,similar instances of fraudulent signatures were discovered on nomination papers at the Newport and East Providence Board of Elections and subsequently reported to local authorities.[27] The paperwork referred to local police included signatures purportedly from individual residents who claim they never signed the nomination papers,and signatures from all five members of the East Providence City Council with incorrect addresses,including two at City Hall.[28] On July 19,it was announced that Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha was taking the lead in investigating Matos' campaign signatures across the state. The investigation is ongoing.[28]
On August 8,2023 the Rhode Island Board of Elections voted 5-to-2 to review all 1,526 signatures submitted on behalf of the Lieutenant Governor.[29] In April 2024,the Rhode Island attorney General's office brought criminal charges against a company hired by Matos' campaign to collect signatures.[30]
Personal life
Matos resides in Providence with her husband,Patrick Ward,and their children.[3] She is Catholic.[31]
Electoral history
2022 Rhode Island lieutenant gubernatorial Democratic primary results[32]
Italics indicate next-in-line of succession for states and territories without a directly elected lieutenant governor or whose lieutenant governor office is vacant:
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