Former White House aide Gabe Amo won a special election Tuesday and will become Rhode Island’s first Black member of Congress.
Amo, who will serve the remainder of former Democratic Rep. David Cicilline’s term, has never held political office but has more than a decade of experience in government.
The Associated Press called Amo the winner over Republican nominee Gerry Leonard Jr., a Marine Corps veteran, at 8:10 p.m. Eastern time, just minutes after the polls closed. Amo had 62 percent of the vote to Leonard’s 37 percent, with 68 percent of polling places reporting according to a tally posted by the state Board of Elections.
