With just over a month remaining until Rhode Island’s primary elections, the Republican candidates for the second congressional district seat are trying to win over GOP voters. The seat is currently held by Democrat Rep. Seth Magaziner, who is serving his second term in Washington.
The GOP primary race features Woonsocket native Victor Mellor – a MAGA-style supporter of President Trump who made headlines for registering as a foreign agent for Cuba – and Stephen Skoly, a physician best known for fighting the state shutdown of his office after he refused the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021.
Both candidates sat down with Ocean State Media political reporter Ian Donnis to discuss their priorities for the state. Mellor said he won’t moderate his views.
Interview highlights
Edited for length and clarity
On why he’s the best candidate to represent Rhode Island’s Second Congressional District
Victor Mellor: I understand D.C. I've been dealing with D.C. politics for the last five years, and I'm already involved in many aspects of healthcare and jobs. I'm in this to win it.
On whether Joe Biden was lawfully elected president in 2020 (which has been confirmed in dozens of court cases)
Mellor: Joe Biden was the president in 2020.
President Trump overruled federal agencies to deny disaster aid for Rhode Island because it is a Democratic-led state, according to Politico. Tens of millions of Rhode Islanders face the loss of their health coverage due to changes at the federal level. On why Rhode Islanders should support the party backing these kinds of actions
Mellor: The Democrats in this state always have somebody else to blame. Every year, they raise the budget, they collect more taxes from Rhode Islanders, and give nothing back in return. It's this downward spiral that needs to end, and there's only one way to end it, and that's with getting some Republicans in there.
I wasn't in the room when that decision (to deny disaster aid) was made, okay? So why the president did that, I don't know. But I do know all he does is he gets attacked continuously by the federal delegation, the governor, and every other politician in this state, okay? It's not President Trump's fault that Rhode Island is last in everything, and nobody denies it. They need to look in the mirror and self-evaluate.
On registering with the U.S. Department of Justice as a foreign agent to ‘engage’ with the Cuban government
Mellor: I haven't spoken to the Cuban government since I got back, but I am engaged with Rhode Island businesses to be prepared for when business opens up in Cuba. Because it's going to open up, the Cubans want it, and the president wants it. So this is going to happen. And why shouldn't Rhode Island be in the mix?
Someone's going to do it. Why can't Rhode Island be the one doing it? And that's what I'm going to bring to the table. I'm going to be Rhode Island's best salesperson. I have no fear of going anywhere and getting that done.
On how to gain more support than Republicans have seen in Rhode Island over the last two decades
Mellor: Socialism is going rampant around the world. The Democrat Party is collapsing. My job is to get Republicans more engaged, and we are doing that. We have the resources to do it. I'm out there representing Republicans. I'm not trying to masquerade as a moderate Democrat, which the Rhode Island GOP thinks I should do. That is not going to happen. So this is it. We're going to do this.
