Gabe Amo defeated 10 candidates in the Democratic special primary for Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District on Sept. 5. Amo received 32.1% of the vote. Only two other candidates received more than 10% of the vote: Aaron Regunberg with 24.8% and Sandra Cano with 14%.
Amo advanced to the general election on Nov. 7, 2023. He will run against the Republican nominee, Gerry Leonard.
The district’s previous incumbent, David Cicilline (D), resigned on May 31, 2023, to run the Rhode Island Foundation. Amo, Cano, Sabina Matos, and Regunberg had received the most media attention and endorsements during the primary campaign.
Amo was a special assistant to President Joe Biden and deputy director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Cano has represented Rhode Island State Senate District 8 since 2018. Matos is Rhode Island’s lieutenant governor and was the only statewide elected official in the race. Regunberg represented Rhode Island House of Representatives District 4 from 2015 to 2018.
Campaign themes included affordable housing, healthcare, reproductive rights, gun violence, and climate change. Ballotpedia tracked all noteworthy endorsements related to this race. To view a full list of these endorsements, click here.
During the 2022 general election for this district, The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated the district Solid Democratic. According to Daily Kos, Joe Biden (D) would have defeated Donald Trump (R) in this district in 2020 63.8%-34.7%
As of Sept. 5, four special elections have been called for the 118th Congress. From the 113th Congress to the 117th Congress, 67 special elections were held. For more data on historical congressional special elections, click here.
Additional reading:
Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District special election, 2023 (September 5 Republican primary)
Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District special election, 2023