A battle for the open Senate District 4 seat is taking shape, with half a dozen candidates filing declaration papers with the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s office by Friday’s 4 p.m. deadline. The upcoming special election features four Democrats, one Republican and one independent candidate.
The upcoming Aug. 5 special election marks the first time the district spanning North Providence and the northern part of Providence will have a new state senator in over 40 years. Voters will choose the person who will fill the unexpired term of Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, who died April 21, at age 76. Ruggerio was first elected to the Senate in 1984.
Each declared candidate still must secure 100 signatures from certified voters within the district to qualify for the ballot. The signature deadline is June 10.
The four Democratic candidates would first compete in a special primary on July 8.
Among the Democratic contenders is former state representative Marcia Ranglin-Vassell of Providence. The 64-year-old Providence Public Schools teacher served three terms representing Rhode Island’s House District 6 before deciding not to run again in 2022.
In a May 2 Facebook post announcing her intent to run, Ranglin-Vassell touted a “proven track record of fighting and winning.” During her six years in the House, she championed progressive policies like a $15 minimum wage and gun control alongside education and equity initiatives.
Education reform was a top priority for fellow Democratic candidate Manny Taveras. Taveras, 40 of North Providence, also emphasized housing and small business services in his May 14 campaign announcement.
Manny Taveras is the younger brother of former Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, who led the capital city from 2011 to 2015. The younger Taveras also worked for the Providence mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services from 2008 to 2010, according to his LinkedIn page. He now works as an account executive for private pharmacy benefits manager MedImpact, according to his LinkedIn. This will be his first run for elected office.
Also in the running is Democratic North Providence Town Councilman Stefano Famiglietti. Famiglietti, 33, recently opened his own law practice in Providence focused on employment matters, and has served as a city councilor since 2018. In a May 20 campaign announcement, Famiglietti stressed municipal services and responsible budgeting as priorities if elected to the state Senate seat.
Rounding out the Democratic primary ballot is Lenny Cioe Jr., a nurse at Blackstone Valley Community Health who unsuccessfully challenged Ruggerio in the last three Democratic primaries. The 65-year-old North Providence progressive announced he was entering the race Friday afternoon, 30 minutes before the deadline to file paperwork with the Rhode Island Secretary of State.
Cioe in a statement, said his campaign will focus on “local issues,” including “price gouging” by utility provider Rhode Island Energy, and protecting Medicaid and other health programs from federal funding cuts.
The lone Republican, Alexander Asermely, also waited until the final day to formally enter the race. He said in a statement he felt it was time to “step up and use my voice,” lamenting economic, educational and infrastructure shortcomings across the state and within the district.
The 39-year-old father and lifelong North Providence resident works as an attorney for Bellotti Law Group in Boston, according to his LinkedIn page. Asermely is also a political newcomer, having never run for office before.
Asermely does not have any primary opponents, putting him on the path to the August special election as long as he submits the requisite voter signatures.
Also bound for the general election ballot: independent candidate Stephen G. Tocco. The North Providence resident and retired chief of Rhode Island Capitol Police served on the Smithfield Town Council from 2004 to 2007. He also ran multiple unsuccessful campaigns for state Senate, including against Ruggerio in a three-way Democratic primary in 2022. All but one of his prior candidacies for office have been as a Democrat; in 2020, he ran as an independent candidate for the Senate District 22 seat, which spans parts of Smithfield, North Providence and Lincoln.
While the seat was held by a Democrat for the last 40 years, the district is nearly evenly split between registered Democrats and independents, who comprise 45% and 44%, respectively, of its 22,300 registered voters as of May, according to data with the Rhode Island Department of State. The remaining 11% of voters are registered Republicans.
Voters have until June 8 to register or disaffiliate, ahead of the July 8 primary election. Early voting is set to begin June 18, running through July 7.
The winner of the election will serve the rest of Ruggerio’s two-year term, through 2026.
State lawmakers are paid $19,817 a year.
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
