Twelve candidates are running in the Sept. 5, 2023, Democratic special primary for Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District. The candidate with the most votes will advance to the Nov. 7, 2023, general election to fill the seat previously held by Rep. David Cicilline (D). Cicilline resigned from the House on June 1, 2023.
The field of 12 Democratic primary candidates includes Rhode Island’s lieutenant governor, three sitting state legislators, one local official, two former state representatives, and a former White House aide. Sabina Matos, Aaron Regunberg, Gabe Amo, and Sandra Cano have received the most media attention and endorsements.
Edward Fitzpatrick, writing for The Boston Globe, said, “In a traditional congressional race, such support [endorsements] might be merely routine. But political observers say that in a low-turnout special election such as this one, when fewer than 10,000 votes could decide the winner, these types of endorsements carry extra value, especially when they come with on-the-ground support.” While most candidates have similar platforms, according to The Cook Political Report, the race “could ripen into a traditional Democratic primary battle between Matos, the mainstream Democrat, and Regunberg, the progressive.”
