Rhode Island 2023 Special Election Results

Voters in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District head to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in a special election.

The race is on to fill the vacancy left by former REO David Cicilline, a Democrat, who resigned in June to become CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation.

Competing on the ballot are Democrat Gabe Amo, who previously served as deputy director of President Joe Biden’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Republican Jerry Leonard, a US Marine veteran and political newcomer.

Early voting began on October 18 and continued until Monday.

Polls opened on Election Day at 7 a.m. and closed at 8 p.m. local time.

The importance of the state

The Ocean State sends only two representatives to Congress, and Democrats have held these seats in the US House of Representatives since the mid-1990s.

Cicilline, whose vacancy is being filled, won re-election in the 2022 midterms. Amo is largely considered the front-runner in the heavily blue district.

Amo prevailed in a very crowded special Democratic primary that included 12 candidates. If elected, he will become the first person of color from Rhode Island to be sent to Congress.

His opponent, Jerry Leonard, is looking to cause a major upset. However, the state’s 2nd Congressional District recently saw one of the closest races in Rhode Island in recent memory, with the Democratic incumbent winning by just under 4%.

Rhode Island is the least populated state in the country and has two members in the US House of Representatives. However, this could change after the 2030 Census and congressional redistricting. US redistricting project forecasts Rhode Island would lose its second seat in the House of Representatives.