Rhode Island Voters Choose Aaron Regunberg in Special Congressional Primary
On Tuesday, Rhode Island voters chose former state legislator Aaron Regunberg to be their nominee for the special congressional primary election, a surprising selection in a race that has the potential to reshape the political landscape of the state.
Mr. Regunberg, a progressive Democrat, defeated a moderate, centrist incumbent primaried by a progressive challenger, and his win sets up a high-stakes general election in December that could further divide the already deeply-divided Rhode Island Democratic Party.
The election was triggered by the resignation of incumbent Congressman David Cicilline, who left office after being appointed to serve as Rhode Island’s attorney general.
The 42-year-old Regunberg emerged as the winner in a crowded field of seven candidates, receiving 36.3 percent of the vote in a race that was seen as a referendum on the ideological divisions in the state’s Democratic party.
Mr. Regunberg, who served in the Rhode Island General Assembly from from 2015 to 2018, cast himself as an outsider during the campaign, even though he had formerly served in the state legislature.
He was a strong supporter of former Vice President Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, and many speculate that his candidacy was inspired by the Biden campaign’s message of reform, unity, and progressive values.
Now, with his victory over the more centrist incumbent, Regunberg has injected even more energy into what had been an already heated election campaign.
The former state legislator’s victory sends a clear message to local and national progressives: The progressive movement is alive and growing in Rhode Island.
As he moves forward in the general election, Mr. Regunberg will be facing off against Republican candidate Robert Lancia, a businessman and state representative that has aligned himself closely with President Donald Trump.
The race will be a reflection of the intense partisanship that has come to dominate federal politics in recent years, and it promises to be a highly contested battle.
At the same time, it is seen as a referendum on the progressivism that has been sweeping Rhode Island and could serve as a harbinger of how progressive values will shape the 2022 election landscape.
No matter who emerges victorious in the December general election, one thing is clear: The special congressional primary in Rhode Island has already changed the course of the state’s political scene and injected new life into what had been a stagnant political environment.
