Politics of Rhode Island

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United States presidential election results for Rhode Island[1]
Year Republican / Whig Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 199,922 38.61% 307,486 59.39% 10,349 2.00%
2016 180,543 38.90% 252,525 54.41% 31,076 6.70%
2012 157,204 35.24% 279,677 62.70% 9,168 2.06%
2008 165,391 35.06% 296,571 62.86% 9,804 2.08%
2004 169,046 38.67% 259,760 59.42% 8,328 1.91%
2000 130,555 31.91% 249,508 60.99% 29,049 7.10%
1996 104,683 26.82% 233,050 59.71% 52,551 13.46%
1992 131,601 29.02% 213,299 47.04% 108,578 23.94%
1988 177,761 43.93% 225,123 55.64% 1,736 0.43%
1984 212,080 51.66% 197,106 48.02% 1,306 0.32%
1980 154,793 37.20% 198,342 47.67% 62,937 15.13%
1976 181,249 44.08% 227,636 55.36% 2,285 0.56%
1972 220,383 53.00% 194,645 46.81% 780 0.19%
1968 122,359 31.78% 246,518 64.03% 16,123 4.19%
1964 74,615 19.13% 315,463 80.87% 13 0.00%
1960 147,502 36.37% 258,032 63.63% 1 0.00%
1956 225,819 58.23% 161,970 41.77% 2 0.00%
1952 210,935 50.89% 203,293 49.05% 270 0.07%
1948 135,787 41.44% 188,736 57.59% 3,179 0.97%
1944 123,487 41.26% 175,356 58.59% 433 0.14%
1940 138,653 43.17% 182,182 56.73% 313 0.10%
1936 125,031 40.18% 165,238 53.10% 20,909 6.72%
1932 115,266 43.31% 146,604 55.08% 4,300 1.62%
1928 117,522 49.55% 118,973 50.16% 699 0.29%
1924 125,286 59.63% 76,606 36.46% 8,223 3.91%
1920 107,463 63.97% 55,062 32.78% 5,456 3.25%
1916 44,858 51.08% 40,394 46.00% 2,564 2.92%
1912 27,703 35.56% 30,412 39.04% 19,779 25.39%
1908 43,942 60.76% 24,706 34.16% 3,669 5.07%
1904 41,605 60.60% 24,839 36.18% 2,212 3.22%
1900 33,784 59.74% 19,812 35.04% 2,952 5.22%
1896 37,437 68.33% 14,459 26.39% 2,889 5.27%
1892 26,975 50.71% 24,336 45.75% 1,885 3.54%
1888 21,969 53.88% 17,530 42.99% 1,276 3.13%
1884 19,030 58.07% 12,391 37.81% 1,350 4.12%
1880 18,195 62.24% 10,779 36.87% 261 0.89%
1876 15,787 59.29% 10,712 40.23% 128 0.48%
1872 13,665 71.94% 5,329 28.06% 0 0.00%
1868 12,993 66.49% 6,548 33.51% 0 0.00%
1864 13,962 62.24% 8,470 37.76% 0 0.00%
1860 12,244 61.37% 7,707 38.63% 0 0.00%
1856 11,467 57.85% 6,680 33.70% 1,675 8.45%
1852 7,626 44.85% 8,735 51.37% 644 3.79%
1848 6,779 60.77% 3,646 32.68% 730 6.54%
1844 7,322 59.55% 4,867 39.58% 107 0.87%
1840 5,278 61.22% 3,301 38.29% 42 0.49%
1836 2,710 47.76% 2,964 52.24% 0 0.00%

Since

the Great Depression, Rhode Island politics have been dominated by the Rhode Island Democratic Party, and the state is considered part of the Democrats' "Blue Wall." Democrats have won all but four presidential elections since 1928, with the exceptions being 1952, 1956, 1972, and 1984.[2] The Rhode Island Republican Party, although virtually non-existent in the Rhode Island General Assembly, has remained competitive in gubernatorial elections, having won one as recently as 2006. Until 2014, Democrats had not won a gubernatorial election in the state since 1992, and it was not until 2018 that they won one by double digits. The Rhode Island General Assembly
has continuously been under Democratic control since 1959.

Democrats hold all statewide and congressional seats including Governor

Dominick Ruggerio, U.S. Representatives Gabe Amo and Seth Magaziner, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Secretary of State Gregg Amore, General Treasurer James Diossa, and Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey
.

In a 2020 study, Rhode Island was ranked as the 19th easiest state for citizens to vote in.[3]

Party registration as of February 2021[4]
Party Total voters Percentage
Unaffiliated 348,569 43.18%
Democratic 346,320 42.90%
Republican 112,334 13.92%
Total 807,223 100%

History

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists (1776–1820)

Rhode Island declared independence from the

bill of rights, however, support grew for the Constitution in Rhode Island. Rhode Island became the last of the original 13 states to ratify the Constitution in 1790 by only 2 votes, after Gov. John Collins supported it and several remaining Anti-Federalists boycotted the ratifying convention.[6]

After ratification, many Anti-Federalists remained with the Country Party or joined

Anti-Administration faction, which eventually became the Democratic-Republican Party. Rhode Island's first 2 governors after ratification (Anti-Federalist leader Arthur Fenner and Henry Smith) were both nominees of the Country Party.[7] Meanwhile, one of Rhode Island's first 2 senators, Joseph Stanton Jr., was a nominee of the Anti-Administration Party.[8]

Despite the Anti-Federalist views during the 1780s, the

U.S. Congress as late as 1820, and Federalist Governor William Jones was not defeated by a Democratic-Republican candidate until Nehemiah R. Knight was elected in 1816.[7]

Democratic-Republican Era (1820s)

In the 1820s, Rhode Island, like the rest of the union, was largely dominated by the

1828.[11] Many of these "Anti-Jacksonians" or "Adams Men", such as Asher Robbins and former Governor Nehemiah R. Knight,[12][13] represented the state in Congress before the formation of the Whig Party
in 1833.

Whig Era (1833–1850)

Rhode Island Congressmen were almost exclusively Whigs during the 1830s and early 1840s. Whigs

1848.[17]

Dorr Rebellion (1840–1842)

Main article: Dorr Rebellion

In 1841, Rhode Island was the last state to still require ownership of property to vote in its elections, as it was still governed by the provisions of its original colonial charter of 1663, which restricted voting rights to landowning white men and their eldest sons. About 60% of Rhode Island adult men were ineligible to vote due to these restrictions by 1840. Political activist Thomas Wilson Dorr was the leader of a group known as the Rhode Island Suffrage Association (or "Dorrites")[18] that attempted to amend or replace the charter with a new constitution extending suffrage to all white men, but efforts to do so consistently failed in the Rhode Island General Assembly.[19]

After failed attempts to change the system from within, the Dorrites held a convention for the newly formed "People's Party", which drafted a new constitution that enfranchised all white men after one year's residence.[20] Meanwhile, General Assembly members who supported the charter, known as "Charterites" or the "Law and Order Party", drafted a constitution that made concessions to the People's Party, but two referendums held later that year determined that a majority of voters approved of the People's Party constitution, but disapproved of the Law and Order Party's constitution by a narrow margin.[18]

However, Governor

Woonsocket, causing Dorr's government to fall.[20]

Despite their victory, the Charterite General Assembly ultimately drafted and adopted the current

poll tax. Although the former members of the People's Party attempted to oppose the Law and Order Party's candidates in the 1843 elections, the Law and Order Party took all major offices in these elections, and their new constitution was adopted in May. Encouraged by the new constitution's expanded suffrage, Dorr returned to the state, but was captured by King and tried and convicted of treason. However, public protests resulted in Dorr's pardon by Governor James Fenner in 1845.[19]

Law and Order Party and Whig Party co-dominance (1840s)

After the Dorr Rebellion ended, the Law and Order Party shared power with the Whigs for the remainder of the 1840s, until the former dissolved and the latter fell from power in Rhode Island. The Law and Order Party's

Rhode Island Constitution. Fenner had previously served as governor on two other occasions as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party. Byron Diman also represented the Law and Order Party as governor.[21]

In 1843, Rhode Island was given a

Benjamin Babock Thurston to Congress in 1847; Thurston was the first Democrat elected to Congress from Rhode Island.[22]

In the late 1840s and early 1850s, the nationally declining Whig Party became diminished in Rhode Island, while the Law and Order Party dissolved, and most of its members returned to their pre-Dorr Rebellion allegiances to the Whigs or Democrats.

Republican Era (1850s–1930s)

After the demise of the Rhode Island

Benjamin Babock Thurston returned to his Congressional seat as a Know-Nothing, and William W. Hoppin
was Rhode Island's only Know-Nothing governor in 1854, serving in the office until 1856.

In the late 1850s, however, much of the remaining Know-Nothings and Whigs nationally were absorbed by the

1856, won Rhode Island's electoral votes during this era.[26]

The

37th U.S. House of Representatives were Unionists.[22]

During the

U.S. Senate in 1875, serving there until his death in 1881.[29]

From 1863 to 1887, every governor of and U.S. Congressman from Rhode Island was a member of the Republican Party.

William Bradford in 1797.[9] Also during this time, Governor Henry Lippitt became the first in a familial line of several prominent Rhode Island politicians, dating to Governor Lincoln Chafee, and including one of Lippitt's sons, Sen. Henry F. Lippitt, who was a brother-in-law of U.S. president and Chief Justice William Howard Taft.[31] Also, the administration of three-term Governor Alfred H. Littlefield officially established the current boundary line of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and authorized the establishment of the state's first industrial school for impoverished children, in an effort to update the state's education system to keep in time with manufacturing developments.[32]

In 1887, some Democratic power returned when prominent Democratic businessman

Lucius F.C. Garvin, a longtime General Assembly member from Cumberland and eventual governor, serving two one-year terms. However, a Republican-controlled legislature prevented most of Garvin's reform-minded programs from passing.[35] Garvin was considered for the Democratic nomination for U.S. president in 1904.[36]

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, there was much controversy in the state political system surrounding Republican leader and

lobbyist Charles R. Brayton, who generally supported the interests of Republican senators Henry B. Anthony and Nelson W. Aldrich. As both a Civil War veteran and a member of the state's "economic elite", Brayton was easily supported by the majority of Rhode Islanders, and is credited with helping many candidates into office, including Sen. Aldrich, who would later become one of the most prominent U.S. Senators.[37] Brayton rose to political prominence in Rhode Island in the 1890s as a chairman of the Republican State Committee, and eventually as a member of the Republican National Committee. Brayton campaigned heavily for the passage of laws shifting gubernatorial powers, including almost all appointment powers, to the State Senate, which was reliably a Republican majority. The "Brayton Act" was a major hindrance to Democratic reformers such as Governor Garvin after its passage, and would continue to hinder gubernatorial power until Democrats gained a State Senate majority in 1935.[38] Brayton also had a political rivalry with James H. Higgins, another Democratic governor during Rhode Island's Republican Era. Higgins greatly opposed Brayton's lobbying, claiming Brayton was paid by railroad and telephone companies to lobby their special interests.[39] Brayton did not deny this, but said that he never lobbied against the interests of the Republican Party to favor a corporation's interest.[40]

In 1912, President Taft's reelection campaign was the first Republican campaign to not receive Rhode Island's electoral votes, despite the fact that he was a 5th cousin of former Governor Royal C. Taft. Democrat

election, was the first Democrat to receive Rhode Island's electoral votes since Franklin Pierce
in 1852, before the founding of the Republican Party.

Also in 1912, the Republican ticket for executive offices, led by Aram J. Pothier, who was also the first Rhode Island governor of foreign birth (born in Quebec), won the first 2-year executive terms, having previously served four 1-year terms.[41]

Upon the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929, Republican Norman S. Case was Governor of Rhode Island. Although he was reelected in 1930, the Depression worsened and Republican popularity lessened, and Theodore F. Green summarily defeated Case in 1932. The Depression is generally cited as the primary reason for the fall of Republicans in Rhode Island, transitioning to a period of Democratic dominance which continues today.

Democratic Era (1930s–present)

In the 1932 and 1934 elections, Democrats officially swept Republicans out of power in the state.

Bloodless Revolution", as Republicans have struggled to regain power in Rhode Island since.[44]

Republicans remained in some power throughout the 1930s, as

wire-tapping scandal involving a private detective he had hired to search for election fraud.[46] The scandal cost him his re-election chances, and many Republicans elected in 1938 were defeated by Democratic challengers in 1940;[47][48][49] Democrats also regained a majority in both houses of the General Assembly, and have not lost it since.[44]

Meanwhile, many prominent Rhode Island Democrats also became nationally prominent under Democratic Presidents

T.F. Green Airport
after him.

81st Congress. McGrath was also chairman of the Democratic National Committee during this time, allowing for racial integration of the Democrats' national headquarters and successfully managing President Truman's 1948 reelection campaign. For this, McGrath was promoted to United States Attorney General, until his resignation in 1952, after refusing to be investigated after suspected corruption.[51][52]

With McGrath's resignation to become Solicitor-General, then–Lt. Gov.

John O. Pastore became the first Italian-American governor in U.S. history, and would later become the first Italian-American U.S. Senator. As governor, Pastore enacted Rhode Island's first sales taxes, corporate income taxes, and primary election laws. Pastore retired from his post as governor upon winning a special election to replace McGrath in the U.S. Senate, where Pastore would serve until 1976, where he was famously involved in a 1969 Senate hearing on the funding of PBS in which famous public TV host Fred Rogers testified successfully against President Richard Nixon
's proposed PBS funding cuts.

McGrath and Pastore were two of many Democrats who served lengthy amounts of time in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives during their time. Between 1941 and 1976, Rhode Island sent only 11 different people to the U.S. Congress, all of them Democrats, including Pastore, McGrath, and Green. Other notables included: 12-term Rep.

Fernand St. Germain, Rep. Forand's successor, who was involved in passing legislation that would ultimately be blamed for the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s–1990s. Back in Rhode Island itself, four-term Governor J. Joseph Garrahy became iconic for his handling of the Blizzard of 1978, during which Governor "Joe" kept a calm, casual, comforting demeanor while living at his State House office for about a week to manage the crisis and maintain order. Perhaps the most notable member of the Democratic dynasty of the 1940s–1970s, though, was Sen. Claiborne Pell
.

Best known as the father of

U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
for eight years later in his tenure. Having served for 36 years upon his retirement, Claiborne Pell is the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Rhode Island history.

Return of Republicans and rise of third parties (1976–present)

Main articles:
United States Senate election in Rhode Island, 2012

In his 36 years in the Senate, Claiborne Pell served alongside only two other U.S. Senators from Rhode Island: John Pastore, and

liberal U.S. Senators on social issues during his time. Upon his death in October 1999, Chafee was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton, and his son Lincoln Chafee
was appointed to replace his father; the elder Chafee had already announced his plans to retire at the end of his term and the younger Chafee had already announced his plans to run to succeed him.

Meanwhile, the Chafees' tenure in the U.S. Senate corresponded to some return to Republicans holding major state offices in Rhode Island, although the Democrats always held their majority in both houses of the General Assembly. In 1984, Republican

1994, governors (and all other state offices) would be elected for 4-year terms and limited to two such terms. In a surprising upset, Gov. Sundlun lost the 1994 Democratic primary to strongly liberal State Senator Myrth York, who was then defeated by Republican Lincoln Almond by a slim margin of 47–44% in the general election (third-party activist Robert J. Healey
won 9%). Beginning with York's loss in 1994, Democrats would go on to lose five consecutive gubernatorial elections, despite maintaining their supermajorities in both houses of the General Assembly and Rhode Island's 4 electoral votes always going to Democratic candidates in Presidential election years during those 20 years.

Between Governor Almond and his successor, Gov.

Charles J. Fogarty
by only 2 percentage points.

Also in 2006, Sen. Lincoln Chafee lost the seat that had been held by him or his father for 30 years. Former State Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse defeated Chafee by a margin of 53.5–46.5% in an election that was part of a national swing to a Democratic majority in both houses of the U.S. Congress. Chafee, one of the most left-of-center Senators at the time, later admitted that his loss to Whitehouse was good for the country since it helped give the majority to the Democrats,[53] and Chafee later disaffiliated from the Republican Party and announced a run for governor for 2010.

In the

2010 gubernatorial election, there were four major candidates: State Treasurer Frank T. Caprio for the Democrats, John Robitaille for the Republicans, former Sen. Lincoln Chafee as an independent, and businessman Ken Block, who had founded the Moderate Party of Rhode Island in 2009 to advocate for meaningful political, economic, and educational reform. The Moderate Party's founding involved a court battle for official recognition that ended in the overturning of several laws that made it much easier for third-party and independent candidates to gain ballot access in elections beginning in 2010. The four-way race gained international attention when President Barack Obama, to whom Chafee has been a political ally, refused to endorse a candidate, and Caprio publicly told the President of the United States to "take his endorsement and really shove it."[citation needed] Caprio's remark hurt his campaign such that, despite being a Democrat in a heavily Democratic state, he ultimately placed third with just 23% of the vote.[citation needed] Chafee won the race with 36%, just about 2.5 percentage points more than Robitaille, while Block earned 6.5%, enough to gain major party status for the Moderate Party. Chafee became Rhode Island's first independent governor since the 18th century. He also immediately proved to be a very unpopular governor, likely owing to the fact that 64% of Rhode Islanders voted for someone else. Chafee's approval ratings fell further when he proposed a variety of tax increases, and he stirred up national controversy when he stood by his decision to refer to the annual State House Christmas tree as a "Holiday Tree" in the name of separation of church and state. Among Gov. Chafee's accomplishments was passing LGBT marriage equality
.

Also in 2010, Providence Mayor David Cicilline won the District 1 House of Representatives seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, and fellow Democrat Angel Taveras won the election to succeed Cicilline as Mayor in a landslide. Shortly after taking office in 2011, Taveras discovered that he had inherited over $180 million in debt that Cicilline had largely hidden from the public through what was described by Providence City Council Finance Chairman John Igliozzi as "illusory revenue, borrowing and other tricks."[54] Cicilline's approval ratings just a few months after winning federal office went below 20% as the vast majority of voters blamed Cicilline for the city's financial woes,[54] which ultimately required controversial austerity-like measures to prevent the city of Providence from declaring bankruptcy. Rep. Cicilline was also accused by District 2 Rep. James Langevin of gerrymandering by tampering with the regular redrawing of district lines to ensure his own reelection in 2012, which, despite the controversies, Cicilline did win with 53% of the vote.

In 2014, Governor Chafee, having officially joined the Democratic Party in 2013 and facing massive unpopularity and likely primary challengers, chose not to run for reelection. The primaries in both parties were hotly contested: on the Democratic side,

venture capitalist and State Treasurer Gina Raimondo, perceived as a fiscally center-right frontrunner, defeated Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and Clay Pell (grandson of the late Sen. Pell) after unions and other liberals divided almost evenly between the 2 more liberal challengers, while on the Republican side, Moderate Party founder Ken Block left his own party to run as a Republican, only to be defeated in the primary by conservative Cranston Mayor Allan Fung. Without Block, the Moderate Party had nominated James Spooner for governor, but when he became severely ill, Robert J. Healey, who had previously run for governor or lieutenant governor 6 times on the platform of his own "Cool Moose Party," was announced as the substitute nominee with less than 2 months until election day. Spending less than $40 in total and campaigning mostly through social media
, a blog, and organizing charity fundraisers, Healey's "guerrilla campaign" stunned pundits and pollsters by winning 22% of the vote and even winning pluralities in a few towns. Ultimately, however, Raimondo defeated Fung to become Rhode Island's first female governor by a margin of 40–36%.

Meanwhile, the election to replace Taveras as Mayor of Providence saw former Mayor and convicted felon Buddy Cianci attempt to return to politics. The race was seen by many as a referendum on Cianci's legacy,[55] with supporters pointing to the improved infrastructure, city parks, arts scene, and other gains associated with the city's "Renaissance" during Cianci's time as Mayor, while detractors pointed to Cianci's history of violent, criminal behavior and frank, less-than-remorseful admissions to using "public power for personal reasons."[56] In a rare move into municipal politics, President Obama publicly endorsed Cianci's little-known Democratic challenger, Jorge Elorza, as did Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who, as a U.S. Attorney, oversaw the investigation that led to Cianci's racketeering charges and eventual conviction in 2002. Even the Republican nominee for Mayor, Dan Harrop, urged citizens to vote for his Democratic opponent Elorza, citing concerns that Cianci would not have the city's best interests at heart.[56][55] Ultimately, Elorza proved victorious by a margin of 53–44% over Cianci. It was the first election that Cianci has ever lost.[55]

Joe Biden continued the Democratic trend in Rhode Island, carrying the state by 20.8 points, or 107,564 votes.[57] Republican Donald Trump carried the crucial Catholic vote (50% to Biden's 49%), who comprised 52% of the electorate, the most of any state.[58] Catholics were once a reliable Democratic constituency, but have become competitive in recent elections due to their social conservatism.[59]

Issues

Boston, Massachusetts
, increasing housing costs have resulted in more homeless in Rhode Island.

Minor parties

Moderate Party

Main article: Moderate Party of Rhode Island

The Moderate Party of Rhode Island is the third-largest contemporary political party in the U.S. state of Rhode Island, after the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The Moderate Party of Rhode Island gained official party status and ballot access via a federal lawsuit and the gathering of 34,000 signatures on August 18, 2009.

In August 2018, Tony Jones was appointed to the North Kingstown School Committee making him the first-ever Moderate in public office.[60]

Constitution Party

Main article: Constitution Party (United States)

Cool Moose Party

Main article:
Cool Moose Party

Green parties

Main article: Green Party of Rhode Island

Libertarian Party

Main article:
Libertarian Party of Rhode Island

Natural Law Party

Main article: Natural Law Party (United States)

Reform Party

Main article: Reform Party of the United States of America

Socialist Party

Main article: Socialist Party USA

Defunct parties

Country Party

Main article: Country Party (Rhode Island)

Federalist Party

Main article: Federalist Party

Democratic-Republican Party

Main article: Democratic-Republican Party

People's Party

A party briefly created in the Rhode Island Voting Crisis, leading to the Dorr Rebellion. The party was founded by Thomas Dorr, as an alternative to the old-guard legislature which enforced strict voting restrictions.

Law and Order Party

Main article: Law and Order Party of Rhode Island

Whig Party

Main article: Whig Party (United States)

Native American Party ("Know Nothings")

Main article: Know Nothing

Constitutional Union Party ("Unionists")

Main article: Constitutional Union Party (United States)

Federal representation

Main article: Rhode Island's congressional districts

Rhode Island currently has 2

House districts
In the 118th Congress, both of Rhode Island's seats are held by Democrats There are as follows:

Rhode Island's two United States Senators are Democrats Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, serving since 1997 and 2007, respectively.

Rhode Island is part of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island in the federal judiciary. The district's cases are appealed to the Boston-based United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

See also

References

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  2. ^ "Rhode Island Presidential Election Voting History - 270toWin".
  3. S2CID 225139517
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  4. ^ https://datahub.sos.ri.gov/RegisteredVoter.aspx
  5. A&E Television Networks, LLC
    . Retrieved December 8, 2012.
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