PROVIDENCE — House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert E. Craven Sr. dropped out of the attorney general’s race on Thursday, just four days after launching his campaign.
Craven, a North Kingstown Democrat, ended the campaign because of the scrutiny he received over two domestic violence incidents in the early 2000s.
“I did not anticipate the impact the last few days would have on the most important people in my life, my family,” Craven said in a statement. “Although I have been sober for nearly 22 years, the behaviors from that period in my life will always be part of my story. I must continue to have hope in redemption, not for myself, but for those of us who have made mistakes and who have to have hope in tomorrow. Because my family must always come first, I am ending my campaign today.”
Boston Globe columnist Dan McGowan asked about the domestic incidents soon after Craven entered the race.
Craven said he and his wife were going through a rough patch in early 2001 when he was drinking too much and she was seeking a divorce. “I was under the influence, I was yelling at her, and she was concerned because I drove off, and she called the police, he said.
Craven told McGowan that he never laid a hand on his wife, but when he returned home, the police charged him with simple assault, and he said the misdemeanor was eventually dismissed.
Family Court records tell a different story.
Craven’s wife had requested a domestic restraining order. In a handwritten statement dated Sept. 4, 2001, she said that he had been “verbally and physically abusive” during their marriage, and that he pushed her to the ground during an argument on Aug. 31, 2001.
“He was enraged at this point and demanded that I stand right in front of him, otherwise he was going to ‘beat the (expletive) out of me,’” she wrote. “As requested, I got right in front of him, and he grabbed me by the throat and neck and said that I would never get the children away from him even if I had F. Lee (expletive) Bailey representing me.”
She said Craven told her “I will kill you and don’t think I won’t do it.”
WPRI-Channel 12 reported that Craven dropped out hours before it was set to air a report revealing new details about his conduct. Channel 12 had contacted Craven’s campaign Wednesday seeking an interview to discuss Family Court records, which provided undisclosed details about his alleged behavior and raised questions about whether he had made inaccurate statements about the incident in the past.
Craven told McGowan he was willing to discuss the incidents as best as he remembered, although he acknowledged that he was struggling with an alcohol addiction at the time. He said he “used to be mad at the officer” that charged him with assault, but he said, “This is what I needed to get help.”
He said he did get help and has been sober for 22 years. He reconciled his marriage, and the couple has two children together.
The other incident occurred around the same time, but didn’t involve Craven’s wife. He’s more vague on those details, in part because he says he didn’t know he was facing a simple assault charge until he was contacted by Providence police long after the altercation. The female accuser later withdrew her complaint, he said.
Craven had faced questions about these incidents when he was first elected in 2012. His Republican challenger in 2014, Sharon Gamba, made the incidents front and center during their race. She promised to fight for legislation that would prevent individuals from having domestic violence incidents expunged from their record.
When asked why would he want to put his family through a tough campaign where there was no question that his past would be revisited, Craven said, “My wife encouraged me to run.”
In announcing his candidacy, Craven claimed he had been endorsed in the past by the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence. But that coalition is a nonprofit that doesn’t endorse candidates, according to a representative from the organization.
In a statement, Craven called the endorsement claim “an honest mistake due in part to similarities with the name of another advocacy group, and in part to my long-standing record of support for their work.”
Craven, 69, who has represented House District 32 for 12 years, said, “I intend to continue serving the people of North Kingstown through the end of my term. A decision about the future will wait until next year.”
Craven is an attorney at Robert E. Craven & Associates in North Kingstown. He was an assistant attorney general from 1983 to 1992, included a stint as chief of the public corruption unit. He has appeared before the US Supreme Court, and was named to the state commission to reform the criminal justice system.
Craven has $320,617 in his campaign account.
On Tuesday, Keith D. Hoffmann announced his candidacy for attorney general, and he has the support of Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, who is term limited.
Hoffmann, 38, of Providence, was chief of policy and senior counsel for Neronha’s office. He previously worked as chief of the attorney general’s civil rights unit, focusing on enforcement actions to protect lead poisoned children, and a statewide hate crime enforcement program.
Also, Representative Jason Knight, a Barrington Democrat, has a campaign announcement set for Oct. 6 at The Guild, in Warren.
Knight, 55, has represented House District 67, covering Warren and Barrington, since being elected in November 2016. He was the House sponsor of the 2025 law banning the sale, purchase, and manufacture of assault-style weapons, but not their possession. He also sponsored a 2021 law to ban “straw purchases” of firearms.
This story has been updated with information from Family Court records.
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.