Seth Magaziner


Seth Michael Magaziner is an American investment professional and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 31st general treasurer of Rhode Island from 2015 until 2023. Magaziner won the November 2022 election to succeed retiring representative James Langevin.

Early life and education

Seth Magaziner was born in Bristol, Rhode Island, on July 22, 1983, to Suzanne and Ira Magaziner. Ira is a policy advisor for politicians, governments, and non-governmental organizations. His mother is Catholic and his father is Jewish. Seth is the oldest of three children.
Magaziner graduated from Milton Academy in Milton, Massachusetts, in 2002. He then attended Brown University, where he served as president of the Brown University Democrats, president of the College Democrats of Rhode Island, and as a member of the Brown University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice. Magaziner graduated from Brown with a Bachelor of Arts in history in 2006. He received a Master of Business Administration from the Yale School of Management in 2010.

Early career

Magaziner worked as a school teacher at Creswell Elementary School in Opelousas, Louisiana, from 2006 to 2008, as a Teach For America member. In 2009, he worked as an associate at Point Judith Capital, a Rhode Island–based venture capital firm.
After graduate school, Magaziner worked at Trillium Asset Management as a vice president.
He was active in the successful campaign for same-sex marriage in Rhode Island. He served as a board member of Marriage Equality Rhode Island.
Magaziner serves on the board of directors of Crossroads Rhode Island, a homeless service organization. He previously served on the board of directors of Common Cause Rhode Island.

General Treasurer of Rhode Island

On October 22, 2013, Magaziner announced his candidacy for Rhode Island general treasurer. He won the Democratic nomination in the September 9 primary election, defeating former treasurer Frank Caprio. Magaziner was elected in the November 2014 general election, defeating Independent candidate Ernest A. Almonte.
In his first months in office, Magaziner developed a plan to establish the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank to finance green infrastructure projects.
In June 2015, Magaziner launched a transparency initiative for the Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island. In 2015, the treasurer's office announced it was pursuing two class-action lawsuits against fossil fuel industry companies BP and Plains All American for oil spills that allegedly harmed investors and the environment.
In February 2016, Magaziner was selected as chair of the Financial Literacy Committee for the National Association of State Treasurers.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2022

On September 14, 2021, Magaziner announced his candidacy in the 2022 Rhode Island gubernatorial election, focusing on abortion rights, clean energy, reducing gun violence, education, and mandatory coronavirus vaccination for all state and school employees. The incumbent, Dan McKee, had not yet filed for reelection.
On January 26, 2022, Magaziner withdrew from the gubernatorial election and instead announced he would run to represent Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives after longtime incumbent James Langevin announced his retirement. Magaziner was a resident of the 1st congressional district but moved to a rented house in Cranston after his opponents criticized him for not living in the district, though federal law requires a representative only to be a resident of the state. He defeated five other candidates in the September 13 Democratic primary with 54% of the vote. On November 8, 2022, Magaziner won the general election, defeating Republican nominee Allan Fung, a former mayor of Cranston and two-time Republican nominee for governor 50% to 47%.

2024

On November 5, 2024, Magaziner won re-election to his house seat, defeating Republican Steve Corvi 58% to 42%.

Tenure

COVID-19 policy

On January 31, 2023, Magaziner voted against H.R.497, also known as the Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, which would lift COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers.
On February 1, 2023, Magaziner voted against a resolution to end the COVID-19 national emergency.

Foreign policy

In 2023, Magaziner voted against H.Con.Res. 21, which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.

Traffic safety

In 2024, Magaziner introduced the Biking Instruction, Knowledge, and Education Act. The act would ensure that National Highway Traffic Safety Administration grants can be used for bicycle education and safety programs.

Voting rights

On February 9, 2023, Magaziner voted against H.J.Res. 24: Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022, which condemns the District of Columbia's plan to allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.

Donald Trump

Magaziner voted yes on H.Res. 1367 on July 24, 2024, which created a task force on the attempted assassination of then-former president Donald Trump.
On February 8, 2025, Magaziner called Elon Musk, "an unelected, unvetted, unconfirmed man-child billionaire".

Congressional Stock Trading

Magaziner was one of the original 16 cosponsors of the Restore Trust in Congress Act, introduced on September 3rd, 2025, by Republican Chip Roy of Texas. The act, a bipartisan effort to ban members of Congress and their spouses and dependents from owning and trading stocks, had 119 cosponsors as of December, 2025.

Opposition to deportation of U.S. veterans

Magaziner questioned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem December 12, 2025 and asked her how many U.S. veterans had been deported by DHS. She replied “Sir, we have not deported U.S. citizens or military veterans.” He then showed, via Zoom, Purple Heart recipient and green-card holder Sae Joon Park, who had been forced to self-deported under her administration.
Park legally immigrated to the United States from South Korea when he was 7, grew up in Los Angeles and California's San Fernando Valley, and enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduating from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks in 1988.. He was deployed to Panama in 1989 during Operation Just Cause and was wounded by enemy gunfire. After leaving the Army Park suffered from PTSD and his family's business was burned to the ground in 1992 during the L.A. Riots. He moved to Hawaii and was arrested for attempting to buy cocaine in 2009. He was given deferred action allowed to stay in the U.S. by federal authorities as long as he made regular check-ins, which he did until June 2025, when he was given the choice to self-deport, or be deported by DHS officials. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Park had an “extensive criminal history” and had been given a final removal order, with the option to self-deport.
Rep. Delia Ramirez has since called for Noem to resign or be impeached due to her statements to Congress and wants a Congressional investigation into possible violations.

Committee assignments

For the 119th Congress:

Personal life

Magaziner married Julia McDowell in 2018. The couple has a son and a daughter.