For the better part of the last decade, House races in tiny Rhode Island were justifiably overlooked. Democratic Reps. David Cicilline and James Langevin both cakewalked to victories between 2012 and 2020, with the state’s skimpy Republican Party repeatedly failing to put either incumbent on defense.
Suddenly, Rhode Island’s House delegation has a brand new look. Langevin retired in 2022, triggering a rare Ocean State slugfest for the more politically marginal 2nd District. And in May, Cicilline resigned from the 1st District to become president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation. Both were succeeded by fellow Democrats, with former White House aide Gabe Amo emerging from a tight Sept. 5 primary to claim the Providence-based 1st District and Rep. Seth Magaziner beating his charismatic Republican rival 51%-47% in the western 2nd District.
Expect the duo of Amo and Magaziner to stick around for a while. Both are young — Magaziner is 40, Amo just 36 — and neither have much reason to fret their reelection prospects in a state where the GOP last won a House race in 1992.
Subscribe Today
Our subscribers have first access to individual race pages for each House, Senate and Governors race, which will include race ratings (each race is rated on a seven-point scale) and a narrative analysis pertaining to that race.