PROVIDENCE — US Representative David N. Cicilline’s decision to resign from Congress to become president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation took many Rhode Island politicians by surprise on Tuesday. Now the game begins: Who is going to decide to run to replace him?
This is the second time in two years that a Rhode Island congressman has shaken up the state’s political structure with an unexpected departure. US Representative James R. Langevin set off a scramble for the Second Congressional District seat when he announced in January 2022 that he would not see reelection after 22 years in office.
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And now Cicilline, a Democrat and former Providence mayor who has held the First Congressional District seat since 2011, is touching off another explosion of ambition.
The First Congressional District encompasses the eastern half of the state, including the east side of Providence; Blackstone Valley cities such as Woonsocket, Pawtucket, and Central Falls; East Bay communities such as Barrington and Warren; and the city of Newport.
It is more liberal than the state’s Second Congressional District in part because Democrats redrew the boundary between the state’s two congressional districts a decade ago to bolster Cicilline’s chances as he faced abysmal poll numbers and a strong opponent in his first reelection campaign.
Cicilline is expected to remain in Congress until the end of May, and Governor Daniel J. McKee cannot call for a special election until Cicilline officially resigns from office.
Between now and then, attention will focus on who will try to succeed Cicilline in the First Congressional District. Anyone with cash on hand from a previous campaign for a state office would need to refund donations and loans and then solicit them for a federal account.
There’s no way to know who will jump in at this early stage, and new names are bound to pop up in the weeks ahead. But here’s an early look at a baker’s dozen potential candidates:
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Peter F. Neronha
Why he would run: Rhode Island’s attorney general just won a second term and cannot run for attorney general again because of term limits. He has already served as US attorney for Rhode Island, and has won his elections convincingly, receiving 61.5 percent of the vote in 2022 and 79.8 percent in 2018. The Democrat has been an outspoken advocate on public policy positions, such as banning “assault-style” weapons and limiting gun magazine capacity.
Why he wouldn’t run: He ruled out a run for governor and has thus far only shown interest in federal and state prosecutor positions. He has never been a legislator.
Lives in: Jamestown, in the First Congressional District
Gregg M. Amore
Why he would run: Rhode Island’s secretary of state cruised to victory in November’s elections, receiving 59.5 percent of the vote and spurring conjecture that he might run for governor some day. The East Providence Democrat had served in the state House of Representatives since 2013. He works as the East Providence School District athletic administrator, and he taught US history, civics, and government courses at East Providence High School for 27 years.
Why he wouldn’t run: He just became secretary of state in January.
Lives in: East Providence, in the First Congressional District
James A. Diossa
Why he would run: Rhode Island’s general treasurer won November’s election with 54.3 percent of the vote. The treasurer’s office has served as a springboard for higher office in recent years, with Seth Magaziner winning the Second Congressional District seat in 2022 and former treasurer Gina M. Raimondo becoming governor and now US commerce secretary. Diossa, a Democrat, was mayor of Central Falls from 2013 to 2020, the youngest mayor in the state’s history and the city’s first Latino mayor.
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Why he wouldn’t run: He just became treasurer in January.
Lives in: Pawtucket, in the First Congressional District
Helena Buonanno Foulkes
Why she would run: The Democratic former CVS executive came close to knocking off McKee in September’s gubernatorial primary, finishing second with 29.9 percent of the vote to his 32.8 percent. She has said she is looking for a way to stay involved in public policy focusing on how to improve public education in Rhode Island. She spent $4.6 million on the governor’s race, including $1.4 million of her own money, and could self-fund a congressional campaign.
Why she wouldn’t run: She does not live in the First Congressional District. While members of Congress aren’t required to live in the district, she would likely have to move, as Magaziner did last year.
Lives in: Narragansett, in the Second Congressional District
Jessica de la Cruz
Why she would run: The state Senate minority leader launched a campaign for the Second Congressional District but withdrew a month later while endorsing Allan W. Fung. The North Smithfield Republican lives in the First Congressional District, so she would not face questions about being from outside the district in this race. She delivered the Republican response to McKee’s State of the State address, calling for Rhode Island to go even further on tax cuts by, for example, lowering the sales tax rate from 7 percent to 5 percent.
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Why she wouldn’t run: She was just chosen to lead the Senate’s Republican caucus in August, replacing Senator Dennis L. Algiere, who left after 30 years in the legislature. Also, the First Congressional District is more liberal than the Second Congressional District. And there could be other Republican candidates, such as former US Senate candidate and former state Supreme Court justice Robert G. Flanders Jr., former gubernatorial candidate Ashley Kalus, former gubernatorial candidate Ken Block, or former House minority leader Brian C. Newberry.
Lives in: North Smithfield, in the First Congressional District
Nellie M. Gorbea
Why she would run: Rhode Island’s former secretary of state ran for governor, finishing third in September’s primary with 26.2 percent of the vote. The Democrat had served two terms as secretary of state and faced term limits. She had said she was exploring a range of private sector options, including the possibility of becoming president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation. Now that Cicilline has that job, she may be looking elsewhere.
Why she wouldn’t run: Gorbea said she planned to close her campaign account and would not seek public office again. She told the Globe that “campaign finance reform is not only desperately needed, but also a civil rights issue. Well-qualified individuals who are not independently wealthy are at a distinct disadvantage.” She does not live in the district, and recently joined Salve Regina University’s Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy as a visiting fellow in democracy and cybersecurity.
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Lives in: North Kingstown, in the Second Congressional District.
J. Aaron Regunberg
Why he would run: The progressive former state representative from Providence received 49 percent of the vote in a 2018 Democratic primary, nearly unseating then-Lieutenant Governor McKee. In 2021, he appeared to be gearing up for another run for lieutenant governor, sending supporters a campaign-style video. But he had second thoughts after McKee became governor and named Sabina Matos as lieutenant governor.
Why he wouldn’t run: He is now a climate advocate on a one-year hiatus in a federal judicial clerkship.
Lives in: Providence, in the First Congressional District
Christopher R. Blazejewski
Why he would run: The Democratic House majority leader turned back a September primary challenger with 73.9 percent of the vote and was unopposed in November. Since being elected in November 2010, he has sponsored the homeless bill of rights and led passage of the Act on Climate and the Reproductive Privacy Act.
Why he wouldn’t run: The Harvard Law School graduate works for the Sherin and Lodgen law firm.
Lives in: Providence, in the First Congressional District.
Ryan W. Pearson
Why he would run: The Democratic Senate majority leader gave serious consideration to running for general treasurer but decided against it. A bank vice president, he previously served on the Cumberland School Committee and is a former Senate Finance Committee chairman.
Why he wouldn’t run: He was just chosen as Senate majority leader in November, replacing Michael J. McCaffrey.
Lives in: Cumberland, in the First Congressional District
Joseph A. Paolino Jr.
Why he would run: The Democrat and former Providence mayor is Rhode Island’s national committeeman. He served as US ambassador to Malta under President Clinton. He lost a run for governor in 1990 and he lost a Democratic primary for the Second Congressional District seat in 1996. He owns a lot of property in downtown Providence, and is the host of “In the Arena” political talk show on ABC6. He could self-fund a congressional campaign.
Why he wouldn’t run: His political views are more conservative than many candidates who are likely to be in a Democratic primary.
Lives in: Providence, in the First Congressional District
Angel Taveras
Why he would run: The Democrat was Providence’s first Latino mayor, serving from 2011 to 2015. He ran for governor, losing a Democratic primary in 2014, and he ran for Congress unsuccessfully in 1999.
Why he wouldn’t run: He is now an attorney who hasn’t run a campaign in recent election cycles.
Lives in: Lincoln, in the First Congressional District
Clay Pell
Why he would run: The grandson of the late US Senator Claiborne Pell, he ran for governor in 2014, finishing third in the Democratic primary. His LinkedIn profile lists him as a Providence resident who is now an appellate judge with the US Coast Guard Court of Criminal Appeals and a commander on the Coast Guard Commandant’s Advisory Group. He could self-fund a congressional campaign.
Why he wouldn’t run: He and his Prius have not been the news in years.
Lives in: Providence, in the First Congressional District
Jorge O. Elorza
Why he would run: The former Democratic Providence mayor just completed his second term and could not run again because of term limits. He decided against running for governor or any other office in 2022, but said, “perhaps the conditions will be right at some point in the future.” He is sitting on nearly $1 million in campaign funds, but he’d have to convert that for a congressional run.
Why he wouldn’t run: He was planning to return to teaching at Roger Williams University School of Law and assisting the law school with its strategic planning to establish a clinic focused on affordable housing.
Lives in: Providence, in the Second Congressional District
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.