2022 RI Primary Election: Results, candidates' speeches, live coverage
Rhode Island is one of three states to hold its primaries today. These are the final three primaries before the mid-term elections in November.
The nation's eyes are on the Second Congressional District, where Republicans have hopes for an upset in the election for a House seat now held by U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin, who is retiring after 11 terms representing Democratic-leaning Rhode Island.
The other major race on the Democratic primary ballot is the governor's race, where Dan McKee is trying to be elected to his first full term. He is one of five candidates vie for the chance to go against the presumptive Republican nominee, Ashley Kalus in November's general election.
Live Election Results: Check out the map of how your city or town voted in the primary
Rhode Island Primary Voter Guide: Everything you need know to about the candidates
LaFortune concedes to Brett Smiley
Providence mayoral candidate Nirva LaFortune tweeted at around 9:35 p.m. that she had called Brett Smiley to congratulate him on a race well run.
LaFortune was trailing fellow candidates Smiley and Gonzalo Cuervo with 95% of precincts reporting and 21.9% of the vote compared to Smiley's 41.7% and Cuervo's 36.4%.
More on Providence mayor results: Brett Smiley looks to be the next mayor of Providence
What is the threshold for a recount in in a Rhode Island election?
There is no automatic recount process in Rhode Island elections.
Instead, candidates can request a recount if they hit prescribed thresholds. Those thresholds are different for different sized elections.
In a race where the total number of votes is 100,000 or greater, a candidate can request a recount if they are trailing by 1,500 votes or .5% of the total votes cast, whichever is less.
In a race where the total number of votes is between 20,001 and 100,000, that threshold is trailing by 1% of votes or 500 votes, whichever is less.
In a race where the total number of votes is 20,000 or less, that threshold is trailing by 2% of total votes cast or 200 votes, whichever is less.
In the gubernatorial primary, the margin of defeat must fall between 1 percent and 500 votes, "whichever is less," for the losing candidate to request a recount under state law. That candidate would need to request such a recount by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, said the Board of Elections' executive director, Bob Rapoza.
When will votes cast before election day -- including mail ballots -- be counted and added to the totals?
The Board of Elections tabulates mail ballots as they come in from cities and towns, but they will not be added to the publicly-reported vote total until sometime after the polls close at 8 p.m. The Board expects to count all mail ballots before the end of Tuesday -- except some late-arriving ballots cast in drop boxes on election day.
Votes cast in-person before election day are also being counted as they come in and will only be reported to the public sometime after the polls close.
Candidates for Lt. Governor try to sway voters at the polls
Matos and Ruggiero made their rounds to polling places across the state to try and sway voters at the polls. Matos joined Senate President Dominick Ruggerio and Gov. Dan McKee at the Whelan Elementary School in North Providence, along with North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi and Ruggerio's opponent, Leonard Cioe Jr.
Ruggiero stumped, among other locations, at the Temple Beth El in Wayland Square in Providence, handing out leaflets with her information on them. Ruggiero served for in the statehouse for 14 years and said she wants to focus on her "4 E's" — the economy, education, the environment and "our elders."
Candidates converge at Whelen Elementary
At Whelan Elementary School in North Providence, Matos, McKee and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio circled the parking lot talking to supporters, along with Ruggerio's opponent, Leonard Cioe Jr., who warmly greeted Matos. Joining the candidates was North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi, whose term extends to 2024.
Cioe said he was alone at the polling place because his volunteers were busy getting voters to their own polling places and knocking on doors to ask if people have voted yet.
Campaigning for LaFortune at Temple Beth-El in Providence
At the Beth-El Temple in Wayland Square, voter Fran Loosen said the process was easy and there was a good slate of candidates.
"I knew who I liked," she said.
When it came to the lieutenant governor's race, Loosen said she voted for Matos. She credited Matos' time on the Providence City Council as winning her over.
At the temple, Leanne Soulard stood outside, holding a sign for LaFortune. She started the day distributing flyers, then phone banking, before standing outside the polling place. A voter, who said she was new to Providence, told Soulard she was torn between LaFortune and another candidate, and to change her mind.
"I don't typically get asked any questions," Soulard said.
Soulard said she was campaigning for LaFortune because she was in her city council district and knew LaFortune cares about education.
Walking out of the temple with a piece of red paper in her hands was Lajuan Loury, who moved to Providence from Texas five years ago.
She was turned away at the polls and told to go to another voting center because redistricting moved her polling place.
Loury said she didn't want to vote for any Democrats or Republicans, let alone the endorsed candidates with an asterisk next to their name on the ballot.
"They're not doing what the people want," she said, referring to both the political parties.
LaFortune greets voters in Providence
Around 5 p.m., Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune greeted voters at a polling site at Providence College's Schneider Arena, where some voters didn't feel strongly about the mayoral race.
"The message that I have is that the time is now," LaFortune said in response to the ambivalence, emphasizing her experience in city government. "This is an opportunity for us to elect someone with both the professional and lived experience to really move our city forward."
Erica Winter, a middle school civics and geography teacher, cast her ballot at the site for Gonzalo Cuervo, but said she "would be happy if any of them were mayor." Winter said she was swayed by Cuervo's familiarity with the function of city departments and his understanding of how to fix routine city life issues.
Also at the site was Anthony DeSimone, who said his nephew of the same name is running as an independent for a state Senate seat. DeSimone was certain of his support for Brett Smiley, particularly his call for a crackdown on ATVs and an expansion of the police force.
- Amy Russo, Journal Staff writer
Candidates converge in Warwick
WARWICK — Campaigning Democratic candidates for governor, treasurer and secretary of state converged on the polls at Veterans Memorial Middle School in Warwick Tuesday afternoon even though there weren't many voters to talk to.
After having lunch with a group of state lawmakers in Cranston, Gov. Dan McKee headed to House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi's district in southern Warwick a little before 3 p.m. Shekarchi is running for re-election against primary challenger Jackie Anderson.
More: Political Scene: Challenge to RI House speaker shows how Democrats are tugged to the left
Waiting there were former Central Falls Mayor James Diossa, who is locked in a tight battle for treasurer with Stefan Pryor, and Rep. Gregg Amore, who is running for secretary of state against Stephanie Beauté.
Independent Mayor Frank Picozzi Picozzi, who does not have an opponent on the ballot, was also there to say hello.
The curbside banter, as for much of the primary, was about McKee's mother and how popular she was in his commercials.
"I can't go anywhere without people asking where's my mother," McKee said about 94-year-old Willa McKee, who was in his most memorable television spot. "That ad brought smiles to people's faces because it was about family."
"I don't refer to him as the governor anymore. I refer to him as Willa's son," Shekarchi said to laughter.
Voters were few and far between at the middle school and even fewer Democrats who wanted to say who they voted for in the governor's race.
Bill Muto said he was voting for Shekarchi and Democrats, "not in the Rhode Island Political Cooperative."
Asked who his choice for governor was, Muto looked warily over at McKee about 20 yards away and said quietly "the woman from CVS," referring to Helena Foulkes.
- Patrick Anderson, Journal Staff writer
Ballot machine jams in McKee's hometown of Cumberland
One of the polling stations in Gov. Dan McKee's hometown of Cumberland was beset by voting day machine trouble.
Town Clerk Sandra Giovanelli confirmed that the ballot counting machine - known as a DS200 - jammed twice, the first time soon after the Cumberland High School polling station opened at 7 a.m. and the first ballot went in.
She told The Journal she called the state Board of Elections, which sent a technician who arrived at 9 a.m. and fixed the machine, at least for awhile.
During this stretch, she said voters continued to come and go, leaving the 53 ballots behind in an emergency slot in the DS200 until the two members of the town's board of canvassers - "a bipartisan pair" - the moderator, the clerk and the technician witnessed them being fed into the machine.
She said the machine jammed again at around 10:15 a.m. She was unsure how long it took to get it working again, but 40 ballots went into the emergency slot, she said, until they too were fed into the machine with all of the witnesses required under state protocol for such events.
"There were intermittent issues with the DS200," Board of Elections spokesman Chris Hunter subsequently confirmed.
"Humidity can cause jams. The Board has several technicians out in the field to fix this if/when it occurs. No voter was turned away or not allowed to vote due
to the issue in Cumberland."
It is not clear if any other cities and towns had similar issues.
- Kathy Gregg, Journal Staff writer
Gonzalo Cuervo visits Providence polling place
Gonzalo Cuervo arrived at the Da Vinci Center, a polling place on Charles Street, around 3:30 p.m.
He spent the earlier part of the day visiting sites in the East Side and South Side.
“Our momentum has really, really built up in the last three weeks,” Cuervo said, adding that while he’s been campaigning for more than a year, he feels more voters finally started paying attention in the past month.
After a long campaign, “it’s done,” Cuervo said with a smile.
Deborah R., a voter who lives off Charles Street and preferred not to give her full last name, arrived at the site to cast her ballot for Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune. Her daughter, Sophia, is 18 and voting in her first election for the same candidate, finding she typically takes after her mother.
Providence mayoral hopeful visits polling sites around the city
Around 2 p.m., Brett Smiley stopped by a polling place in Roger Williams Park. The mayoral hopeful described a feeling of “energy and enthusiasm,” noting that he’s received support on the road in the form of car honks and waves from windows.
Smiley began his day with visits to several East Side polling sites. He grabbed breakfast at the Butcher Shop deli on Elmgrove Avenue with former Journal political writer Charlie Bakst and mentor Myrth York, a former state senator.
- Amy Russo, Journal Staff writer
More: Why are they running? Providence mayoral candidates on the political and the personal
When do polls close
Polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in every city and town except New Shoreham, where poll hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
When is the general election?
The general election is Nov. 8.
Warwick residents, including first-time voter, brave the rain to vote
WARWICK -- A small but steady stream of voters were casting ballots at Norwood Elementary School in Warwick Tuesday shortly before noon. A torrential rain had stopped, and the sun was peeking through the clouds.
Carol Buckley a Warwick resident, stood outside the school, carrying a sign for the state Senate candidate she supports — Democrat Harrison Tuttle.
Speaking of the morning just ending, she said “It’s been slow but people canvassing are pretty cheerful, pretty engaged.”
She added: “It’s nice to see people doing their civic duty in this questionable weather.”
Eighteen-year-old Kingston DaLomba was doing his civic duty by voting for the first time. A graduate of Pilgrim High School, Dalomba, a musician and singer, is a student at the Community College of Rhode Island, which he is attending on the Rhode Island Promise program.
“I feel like local politics is very dominated by the older generation and people my age don't pay attention to local elections and the stuff that really impacts us in ways that we can see firsthand,” DaLomba said.
“I feel like if I want to create change that I want to see around me, I should be voting in local elections. So I made sure I researched everything. I knew who I wanted to vote for and came out before going to classes.”
- G. Wayne Miller, Journal Staff writer
Gov. McKee casts his ballot in Cumberland
In a sloppy, rain-soaked morning, Gov. Dan McKee and his wife Susan emerged from beneath umbrellas to slip inside the gymnasium of Community School in Cumberland to vote, just after 10 a.m.
Afterward, McKee told a few assembled reporters he was feeling “good, very good” as the election day began.
“We ran a very good campaign and did what I said we would do, which was to manage the state of Rhode Island and sign the [state] budget before I started the campaign and we’ve had momentum ever since.”
Asked how he would characterize the tone of the campaign, which turned nasty in recent weeks with his Democratic opponents, Nellie Gorbea and Helena Foulkes, McKee said: “the tone... I’ll just leave that alone.”
Instead, McKee thanked his campaign staff who worked to get out his message in every corner of the state: “So we have a very broad base of support and as a result of that I think we are talking about what was really important: increasing peoples’ incomes in the state, continue work to improve our schools and to improve the lives of families.”
McKee said, “There is a distinction between actually managing a state and campaigning for governor. They are two different animals. The work is what’s important to me. That’s why I campaigned for governor because the work is important to me and I love the state and I want to make sure that we follow through with all the things we’ve already laid the groundwork for in the first 18 months in office.”
Colleen DeGroot, the precinct moderator at Community School, wondered whether the day’s rain would impact voter turnout.
The precinct has 800 registered Democrats and 400 Republicans “and with all the rain from that last storm, people might be skittish” about coming out, she said.
McKee was the 80th voter to cast a ballot at Community School shortly after 10 a.m.
-Tom Mooney, Journal Staff writer
Supporters brave the rain to stump for their favorite candidate
WARWICK – Voter turnout was light Tuesday morning at the Aspray Boathouse – a reality longtime elections clerk Denise Hainey chalked up to steps taken during the pandemic to make voting more accessible in Rhode Island.
More Rhode Islanders opted to vote early or cast absentee ballots than in the past, Hainey said.
A total of 2,542 voters had cast ballots by 10:42 a.m.
“It will never go back to the way it was before because people have options,” Hainey said Tuesday as rain poured outside.
The mood inside the polling place was decidedly upbeat, with one volunteer breaking out singing “My Girl” by the Temptations. “I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day,” as perhaps some sliver of sunshine slipped through the rain.
Avi Shapiro braved the rainfall at the Aspray Boathouse to press votes for Harrison Tuttle, a progressive Democratic candidate for state Senate District 31.
“It’s about having an advocate from the community,” Shapiro said. “I think Harrison represents what people are looking for.”
Shapiro called Tuttle’s opponent, former prosecutor Matthew LaMountain, a candidate handpicked by Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio.
Dave Fontaine and Lou Ullucci, of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2323, manned the polls in support of union-backed LaMountain and Joseph M. McNamara, for House District 19.
“We’re here supporting the candidates who support our issues,” Fontaine said.
Stuart Wilson, second-time Democratic candidate vying for McNamara’s seat, was joined by his father, Tom Thomson, in rallying for votes.
A father of two who took his two sons out on the campaign trail, Wilson hoped he’d prevail in Tuesday’s Primary.
“I always knew it would take two cycles. I’m tired of good ideas not getting enough support from the leaders,” Wilson said.
“They’ve let education flounder. We don't even have universal pre-K,” said Wilson, whose five-year-old son, Henry, attends first-grade at Wyman Elementary School.
Where can I find my polling location?
Voters can look up their designated polling station — and, as Election Day draws closer, view sample ballots — by logging into the Voter Information Center: vote.sos.ri.gov
Will I need an ID to vote in Rhode Island?
Yes. Voters need to present an ID, which can be a driver's license, passport, Rhode Island Voter ID Card or another form of identification listed here: vote.sos.ri.gov/Content/Pdfs/voter_id_information.pdf
How many people have voted so far?
More than 20,000 people had voted in Rhode Island as of Thursday night, about half by mail and half early in-person sites, according to the secretary of state's office https://ri-voter-turnout-tracker-ridos.hub.arcgis.com/
When do polls open
Polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in every city and town except New Shoreham, where poll hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
What’s on my ballot
You can view a sample ballot by entering your address in the secretary of state's Voter Information Center at https://vote.sos.ri.gov/Home/PollingPlaces?ActiveFlag=2
Tuesday is Primary Day for 712,945 active registered voters in Rhode Island
A total of 712,945 active voters are eligible to cast ballots in Tuesdays statewide primaries, according to the secretary of state's voter information data.
Of those, nearly 4%, or 27,986, had already cast ballots as of 4:30 p.m. Monday, using either mail ballots or early in-person voting, according to the secretary's voter turnout tracker.
Democrats have contested primaries for four of the five statewide general officers — governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and general treasurer — and in Congressional District 2.
Republicans have primaries for governor and lieutenant governor.
There are also more than 40 Democratic primaries and four Republican primaries for general assembly seats, plus contests for local offices across the state.
Voters who are registered with a party are only allowed to vote in that party's primary, while unaffiliated voters can choose Democratic or Republican at the polls, but can only vote in one.
Polls open everywhere at 7 a.m., except on Block Island, where they open at 9 a.m. All polls close at 8 p.m.
While Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 200,000 voters — 290,805 to 97,879 — the largest voting bloc statewide by party affiliation is unaffiliated voters, often called independents. That group, numbering 324,261, makes up 45% of the electorate.
In just 10 communities do Democrats outnumber independents, including four where more than half the voters are Democrats: Providence — at 62% the most Democratic community in the state; Central Falls; Pawtucket; and North Providence.
Republicans do not outnumber independents in any community, but the GOP is ahead of Democrats in three rural communities clustered on or near the Connecticut border in Western Rhode Island: Foster, Scituate and West Greenwich, a town in which there are 11 more Republicans than Democrats.
But those three communities have a fierce independent streak, with more than half of registered voters — 53% to 55% — not declaring allegiance to a party. Nearby Glocester is the most independent in the state, at 56%.
And those three towns combined have fewer Republicans, 4,127, than the town of Tiverton has Democrats, .4,171.
The community leading the early voting turnout as of noon Monday was Jamestown, where 9.4% of active voters had already cast ballots.
Rounding out the Top 5 were: Portsmouth, 6.9%; South Kingstown, 6.6%; East Providence, 5.7%; and Narragansett, 5.5%.
The early turnout in the state's four largest cities was: Providence, 4.8%; Cranston, 3.5%; Warwick, 4.0%; and Pawtucket, 2.6%.
The lowest early turnout in the state was Woonsocket, 1.3%.
Active voters are those who have voted recently and are not marked for removal from the voter rolls if they don't vote soon. Inactive are still eligible to vote in Tuesday's primaries. Their numbers were not immediately available.
- Paul Edward Parker
When are polls open?
The Rhode Island state primary is Sept. 13. However, early voting is available.
Polls will open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in every city and town except New Shoreham, where poll hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters can look up their designated polling station — and, as Election Day draws closer, view sample ballots — by logging into the Voter Information Center: https://vote.sos.ri.gov/
More: Rhode Island Primary Voting Guide: Everything you need to know to get your ballot
Here's a primer on the important statewide primary races and the candidates vying for your vote
The 2022 race for RI's Governor:
Democrats face a crowded gubernatorial field going into the September 13th primary. Five candidates vie for the chance to go against the presumptive Republican nominee, Ashley Kalus in November's general election.
Luis Daniel Muñoz: From Central Falls to the governor's race, Luis Daniel Muñoz is used to being the underdog
Matt Brown: In bid for governor, Democrat Matt Brown says voters are looking for something different
Nellie Gorbea: In her campaign for governor, Nellie Gorbea bills herself as the underestimated candidate
Helena Foulkes: How Helena Foulkes hopes to go from corporate CVS office, to RI Governor
Dan McKee: In his bid for reelection, Governor Dan McKee leans on accomplishments and allies
Ashley Kalus: 'Outsider' Ashley Kalus launches GOP campaign for RI governor
Race to replace Jim Langevin for Congressional District 2 seat
If you’re just tuning in, a quick recap: Back in February, Jim Langevin unexpectedly announced that he would not seek reelection. It briefly felt like every politician who’d ever set foot in Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District, which covers the western half of the state, was floating the idea of running for the open seat. The field as since narrowed to five candidates.
Seth Magaziner
David Segal
Omar Bah
Sarah Morgenthau
Joy Fox
Until recently, Spencer Dickinson, a former lawmaker with conservative views, was also in the race. His friend John Carlevale said on Tuesday that Dickinson was experiencing serious health issues and was "suspending the active part of his campaign."
Whichever Democrat comes out ahead in the September 13th primary will likely square off against Republican candidate and former Cranston Mayor, Allan Fung.
Can RI Democrats hold 2nd District seat? Five contenders make their case to primary voters
Where Democrats in RI's 2nd District race stand: On housing, health care, Green New Deal
More: RI GOP trying to make sure Allan Fung faces no primary contest
Allan Fung's prescription for Congress? Make Washington more like Cranston
The race for Lt. Governor:
The lieutenant governor does not have many constitutional duties.
The lieutenant governor chairs four boards: the Long Term Care Coordinating Council, the Alzheimer's State Plan Executive Board, the Emergency Management Advisory Council and the Small Business Advocacy Council.
The office's most important role came to the fore in March 2021, when Gov. Gina Raimondo resigned after being confirmed by the Senate as U.S. commerce secretary and McKee was sworn in to replace her.
Running for Lt. Governor are Sabina Matos and Cynthia Mendes, running together with their gubernatorial counterparts, Gov. Dan McKee for Matos and Matt Brown for Mendes, while Deborah Ruggiero is running alone.
They will face either Republicans, Aaron Guckian or Paul Pence in the general election
Lt. Governor Candidate Profiles: Heres's where the three democrats running stand on issues
RI's Republican Lt. Governor candidates: Former Carcieri aide Aaron Guckian jumps into GOP race for lieutenant governor
The race for RI General Treasurer:
The state general treasurer is responsible for managing the state's financial accounts and, perhaps most prominently, oversees the state employee retirement system, which includes some municipal employees, and is manages the $10 billion investment fund that pays those pensions.
The treasurer runs the Crime Victim Compensation Program, which reimburses people for certain expenses in coping with a crime, and in returning millions in "unclaimed property," such as money in dormant bank and business accounts.
The treasurer also can influence policy in areas such as school construction, housing, student loans and infrastructure improvements as a member of several state boards dealing with those areas.
The two Democratic candidates are:
James Diossa
Stefan Pryor
The winner will square off against Republican James Lathrop, North Kingstown's finance director in the November General election.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI Primary 2022 Live: Voting ends as polls close in Rhode Island
