Politics & Elections

RI General Assembly leadership votes held, Senate keeps tally secret

With the arrival of eight new Senators and eleven new Representatives, the General Assembly may look familiar, but the dynamic is shifting…

Rhode Island News: RI General Assembly leadership votes held, Senate keeps tally secret

November 11, 2022, 6:37 pm

By Steve Ahlquist

The Rhode Island House of Representatives‘ Democratic Caucus overwhelmingly voted on Thursday to allow Joseph Shekarchi (Democrat, District 23, Warwick) and Christopher Blazejewski (Democrat, District 2, Providence) to continue in their roles as Speaker and Majority Leader.

In the Rhode Island Senate Dominick Ruggerio (Democrat, District 4, Providence) was confirmed as President of the Senate and Ryan Pearson (Democrat, District 19, Cumberland), formerly the Chair of Senate Finance, was chosen as Majority Leader, stepping into a role vacated by outgoing Senator Michael McCaffrey (Democrat, District 29, Warwick).

It was also announced that Representative Michael Chippendale (Republican, District 40, Coventry, Foster Glocester) was elected House Minority Leader by the seven member Minority Caucus (Republican) and Representative David Place (Republican, District 47, Burrillville, Glocester) was elected Minority Whip.

Senate Democrats

It is unknown what the vote was in the Senate Caucus meeting held at the Providence Marriott Downtown Hotel on Orms Street because reporters were barred from attending. As a result, details on which Senators attended, sent in proxy votes, and/or voted or abstained from voting for Senators Ruggerio and Pearson were hidden from the press by Senate leadership. [The Senate Democratic Caucus meeting held two years ago was open to the press during COVID.) Uprise RI has learned that Senator Samuel Bell (Democrat, District 5, Providence) abstained from voting for leadership.

In a press release it was said that, “President Ruggerio and Leader Pearson addressed the caucus to outline their priorities for the coming session, identifying education – including continued expansion of pre-K, reversing learning loss, providing mental health supports for students and educators, and more – as a top area of focus. They also cited action on health and human services, renewable energy, housing, and economic development as key priorities.”

As for Senate Minority Whip (a position currently held by Senator Maryellen Goodwin (Democrat, District 1, Providence) and the positions of Chair and member of the various Senate Committees, the public will have to wait until January for Senate president Ruggerio to make those announcements.

House Democrats

Over in the House Caucus, which was held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Warwick, the press was allowed inside. As Speaker Shekarchi said to Uprise RI when we ran into each other upon arrival, “We have nothing to hide.”

Youn can watch the entire caucus meeting here:

On the agenda was to re-elect Speaker Shekarchi and Majority leader Blazejewski, and hold a celebratory dinner and meet and greet. Decisions on committee appointments and Chair positions will come later. Two key positions, the Chair of the House Committee on Labor and the Chair of the House Committee on Innovation Internet and Technology, need to be filled as Representative Anastasia Williams (Democrat, District 9, Providence) lost her reelection bid and Representative Deborah Ruggiero (Democrat, District 74, Jamestown) vacated her seat in an unsuccessful bid to become Lieutenant Governor.

Every attending caucus member voted in favor of retaining the leadership team except for Representative David Morales (Democrat, District 7, Providence) and Representatives-elect Enrique Sanchez (Democrat, District 9, Providence) and Jennifer Stewart (Democrat, District 59, Pawtucket). Representative Ramon Perez (Democrat, District 13, Providence, Johnston) made a confusing statement about voting only for Speaker Shekarchi. “Shekarchi and Shekarchi only. I’m only voting for the Speaker.”

“We developed an agenda that was tremendously well-received by the voters,” said Speaker Shekarchi. “In fact, Governor McKee ran for re-election, in a large part, to the achievements of the General Assembly… The Governor benefitted form the great legislation that the General Assembly passed.”

During his speech, Speaker Shekarchi announced that the Board of Elections had officially certified Megan Cotter‘s victory over incumbent Republican Representative Justin Price (Democrat, District 39, Richmond, Exeter, Hopkinton). With the election of Tina Spears to the seat formerly held by House Minority Leader Blake Filippi (Democrat, District 36, Charlestown, New Shoreham, South Kingstown, Westerly), Democrats picked up two seats in the House, and lost one seat to Representative-elect Brian Rea (Republican, District 53, Smithfield) who unseated Democrat Bernard Hawkins.

Speaker Shekarchi then introduced the ten new members of the Democratic House Caucus:

  • Representative Jennifer Boylan (Democrat, District 66, Barrington, East Providence)
  • Representative Megan Cotter (Democrat, District 39, Richmond, Exeter, Hopkinton)
  • Representative Cherie Cruz (Democrat, District 58, Pawtucket)
  • Representative Matthew Dawson (Democrat, District 65, East Providence)
  • Representative Anthony DeSimone (Democrat, District 5, Providence)
  • Representative Alex Finkelman (Democrat, District 74, Jamestown)
  • Representative Enrique Sanchez (Democrat, District 9, Providence)
  • Representative Tina Spears (Democrat, District 36, Charlestown, New Shoreham, South Kingstown, Westerly)
  • Representative Jennifer Stewart (Democrat, District 59, Pawtucket)
  • Representative Brandon Voas (Democrat, District 57, Central Falls)

House Republicans

Uprise RI has only the press release from the House Republican Minority Caucus, whose seven members elected Representatives Chippendale and Place to the positions of Minority Leader and Minority Whip. Though there are nine Republican members of the House of Representatives, there are only seven members of the minority caucus.

Representatives Patricia Morgan (Republican, District 26, West Warwick) and Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung (Republican, District 15, Cranston) “opted out [of the caucus] last term and will continue to be independent” said Sue Stenhouse, House Minority Leader Chief of Staff to an inquiry from Uprise RI.

Senate Republicans

Over in the Senate, the situation of the Republican Minority Caucus is less clear, but Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz (Republican, District 23, Burrillville, Glocester) seems to be leading the five Republicans serving as Senators.