Rhode Island Democratic Party


The Rhode Island Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Elizabeth Perik is the chair of the party. The party has dominated politics in Rhode Island for the past five decades.

Democratic Party dominance in Rhode Island

For nearly five decades, Rhode Island has been one of the United States' most solidly Democratic states. Since 1928, it has voted for the Republican presidential candidate only four times and has elected only two Republicans to the U.S. Senate since 1934. Rhode Island sent no Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives from 1940 until 1980, when one Republican and one Democrat were elected. In 1980, Rhode Island was one of only six states to be won by incumbent president Jimmy Carter. However, Republican Edward DiPrete was elected governor in 1984 and Ronald Reagan narrowly carried the state in the 1984 [United States presidential election|1984 presidential election]. In the 2000 presidential election, Democrat Al Gore won 61% of the popular vote in the state.
An analysis of Gallup polling data shows the Democratic advantage over the Republican Party in Rhode Island voters plunged between 2008 and 2011. The Democratic advantage over the Republican Party in Rhode Island slid from 37 percentage points in 2008 to 16, according to Gallup. Rhode Island went from the most Democratic state in the country in 2008 to the 7th most Democratic in 2011.

Elected officials

U.S. Senate

Democrats have controlled both of Rhode Island's seats in the U.S. Senate since 2006 [United States Senate elections|2006]:

U.S. House of Representatives

Out of the 2 seats Rhode Island is apportioned in the U.S. House of Representatives, both are held by Democrats.
DistrictMemberPhoto
1st congressional district|1st]
2nd congressional district|2nd]

Statewide officials

Democrats control all five of the elected statewide offices:
The leadership of the Rhode Island Democratic Party, as of 2024, is as follows:

State committee officers

2020 general election">2020 United States elections">2020 general election

CandidatePartyVote %
John F. ReedDemocratic66.2
Allen R. WatersRepublican33.4

CandidatePartyVote %
James R. LangevinDemocratic58.2
Robert B. LanciaRepublican41.5

2018 general election

CandidatePartyVote %
David N. CicillineDemocratic66.7
Patrick J. DonovanRepublican33.1

2016 general election

CandidatePartyVote %
David N. CicillineDemocratic64.5
Russell TaubRepublican35.1

2014 general election

CandidatePartyVote %
David N. CicillineDemocratic59.5
Cormick B. LynchRepublican40.2

2008 general election

CandidatePartyVote %
John F. ReedDemocratic73.4
Robert G. TingleRepublican26.6

CandidatePartyVote %
James R. LangevinDemocratic70.1
Mark S. ZaccariaRepublican29.9

2004 general election

CandidatePartyVote %
Patrick J. KennedyDemocratic64.1
David W. RogersRepublican35.8