Campaign season is already in full swing, but we’re exactly three months away from the June 29 deadline for politicians to formally declare their candidacy to run for office this year.
In a year where Rhode Island has a member of Congress retiring (US Representative Jim Langevin), every statewide office is up for grabs, and a new mayor of Providence will be elected, it’s safe to say it’s going to be busy (and sometimes silly).
If you haven’t been keeping up with the day-to-day of these campaigns yet, here’s a quick guide to the races where candidates are already off and running.
1st Congressional District
Democratic US Representative David Cicilline will be a heavy favorite in his reelection bid against Republican Allen Waters.
2nd Congressional District
The race to replace Langevin is more crowded than the governor’s race. This could still change a lot before the declaration deadline, but right now, the Democratic candidates include state Treasurer Seth Magaziner, Sarah Morgenthau, Joy Fox, Michael Neary, Cameron Moquin, and Omar Bah. Former state representative David Segal is also considering entering the race.
On the Republican side, former Cranston Mayor Allan Fung is squaring off with state Senator Jessica de la Cruz and former state representative Robert Lancia.
Patty Landy, an independent, has also opened a campaign account to run for Congress.
Governor
On the Democratic side, incumbent Governor Dan McKee faces Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, former CVS executive Helena Foulkes, former secretary of state Matt Brown, and Dr. Luis Daniel Muñoz in the primary. The Republicans are poised to nominate newcomer Ashley Kalus, although Rey Alberto Herrera has also opened a campaign account to run.
Lieutenant Governor
The Democratic primary includes incumbent Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos and state Senator Cynthia Mendes, and we’re waiting to learn if state Representative Deb Ruggiero will join them. The Republican candidate is likely to be Jeann Lugo, and independent Keith Harrison has also opened a campaign account to run for the job.
Secretary of State
The Democrats will likely nominate state Representative Gregg Amore. No other candidates have announced a campaign for this office.
General Treasurer
On the Democratic side, former Central Falls mayor James Diossa is the only candidate who has announced that they are running, but others are still considering jumping in. The Republicans initially thought Fung would run for the job, but now that he’s running for Congress, they are searching for a candidate.
Attorney General
Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Peter Neronha is considered a heavy favorite against Republican challenger Charles Calenda.
Providence Mayor
Incumbent Mayor Jorge Elorza is term-limited, so the Democratic primary field includes Brett Smiley, Gonzalo Cuervo, Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune, and former council president Michael Solomon. No Republicans or independents have announced that they are running.
This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, data about the coronavirus in the state, and more. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
Dan McGowan can be reached at dan.mcgowan@globe.com. Follow him @danmcgowan.