Gabe Amo is blazing a trail toward making history as Rhode Island’s first person of color in Congress, and his journey is nothing short of electrifying. On a triumphant Tuesday, Democrats proudly nominated him for Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District, setting the stage for an exhilarating political showdown.
In his electrifying victory speech, Amo passionately declared, “I stand on the shoulders of giants—Black, brown, women, and countless others who have paved the way for me to stand here today.”
Amo emerged victorious from a fiercely competitive field, overcoming nearly a dozen other Democrats with an impressive 32 percent of the vote and over 90 percent of ballots counted. His rivals included a self-proclaimed progressive endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Throughout his campaign, Amo highlighted his past as a former Biden White House aide, earning endorsements from notable figures such as the Congressional Black Caucus, Democrats Serve PAC, Ron Klain, former White House chief of staff, and former Representative Patrick Kennedy.
This triumph also symbolizes a shift in the political landscape, demonstrating that the star power of progressives may not shine as brightly as it once did, even in a traditionally blue district like RI-01. The seat was vacated by former Democratic Representative David Cicilline, who now leads the Rhode Island Foundation.
Within the Democratic Party, factions battled intensely over who should succeed Cicilline, a prominent figure within the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Amo surged ahead of his competitors, notably outpacing former state Rep. Aaron Regunberg, who had gathered support from progressive forces leading up to the election.
RI-01 encompasses Democratic strongholds in Providence, Newport, and Bristol counties, virtually ensuring Amo’s path to a resounding victory in the upcoming November 7 general election, where he will face Republican Gerry Leonard.
Among the top contenders in this fiercely contested race were Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos and state Senator Sandra Cano, both of whom boasted substantial support. However, Matos faced a scandal involving invalid signatures on her nominating papers, while Regunberg’s campaign drew controversy for benefiting from a super PAC run by his father-in-law while he criticized the role of money in politics. These challenges created a unique opportunity for a candidate like Amo to seize the spotlight.
Amo’s historic achievement is not to be overlooked, but he wasn’t the sole visionary striving for change. Half of the Democratic contenders were people of color, and four women vied for the seat. Rhode Island has never elected a Democratic woman to Congress, and its current congressional delegation consists solely of white men. The stage is set for an electrifying transformation in Rhode Island’s political landscape.
