Paul Roselli

Paul Roselli (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Rhode Island House of Representatives to represent District 47. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Paul Roselli was born in Providence, Rhode Island. He obtained a master's degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1974 and an associate degree from Bryant University in 2019. His professional experience includes working as a documentary filmmaker. He is a volunteer with the Rhode Island Disaster Medical Assistance Team's Medical Reserve Corp. He is also involved with the Burrillville Land Trust, Rhode Island Woodland Partnership, Civic Alliance for a Cooler Rhode Island, and Toastmasters.^[1]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47

Incumbent David Place defeated Paul Roselli in the general election for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	David Place (R)	69.5	4,973
	Paul Roselli (D)	30.3	2,168
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	10

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,151
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47

Paul Roselli advanced from the Democratic primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47 on September 10, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Paul Roselli	100.0	258

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 258
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47

Incumbent David Place advanced from the Republican primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47 on September 10, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Place	100.0	256

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 256
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Roselli in this election.

2022

General election

General election for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47

Incumbent David Place defeated Paul Roselli in the general election for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	David Place (R)	67.1	3,433
	Paul Roselli (D)	32.8	1,679
	Other/Write-in votes	0.2	8

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,120
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47

Paul Roselli advanced from the Democratic primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47 on September 13, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Paul Roselli	100.0	662

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 662
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47

Incumbent David Place advanced from the Republican primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47 on September 13, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Place	100.0	445

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 445
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

General election

General election for Rhode Island State Senate District 23

Incumbent Jessica de la Cruz defeated Paul Roselli in the general election for Rhode Island State Senate District 23 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jessica de la Cruz (R)	66.5	10,361
	Paul Roselli (D)	32.9	5,131
	Other/Write-in votes	0.5	84

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,576
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Rhode Island State Senate District 23

Paul Roselli advanced from the Democratic primary for Rhode Island State Senate District 23 on September 8, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Paul Roselli	100.0	896

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 896
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Rhode Island State Senate District 23

Incumbent Jessica de la Cruz advanced from the Republican primary for Rhode Island State Senate District 23 on September 8, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jessica de la Cruz	100.0	470

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 470
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

See also: Rhode Island State Senate elections, 2018

General election

General election for Rhode Island State Senate District 23

Jessica de la Cruz defeated Kevin Heitke in the general election for Rhode Island State Senate District 23 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jessica de la Cruz (R)	55.4	6,217
	Submit photo	Kevin Heitke (D)	44.4	4,983
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	12

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,212
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Rhode Island State Senate District 23

Kevin Heitke defeated Paul Roselli in the Democratic primary for Rhode Island State Senate District 23 on September 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Kevin Heitke	52.9	1,231
		Paul Roselli	47.1	1,098

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,329
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Rhode Island State Senate District 23

Jessica de la Cruz defeated John Pacheco III in the Republican primary for Rhode Island State Senate District 23 on September 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jessica de la Cruz	50.6	646
	Submit photo	John Pacheco III	49.4	631

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,277
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Paul Roselli did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Paul Roselli completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Roselli's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I discovered early on the fragility of our sense of place, our environment and how our environment impacts health, education, community and the lives of those we love. I have devoted my adult life to working on environmental issues with passion and energy. Issues that can change people’s lives.The recent US Supreme Court rulings demonstate the tenuous nature of our rights to clean air, independent choice and freedom without fear.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Strong environmentalist with leadership qualities
Advocate for women't health care services
Green jobs advocate

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The environment, our sense of place. Individual freedom governed by the rule of law. Health care for all of us and an appreciation for all life on this planet.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2020

Paul Roselli completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Roselli's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm Paul Roselli - candidate for State Senate in District 23. Your District. During the nearly five year battle against the Invenergy power plant, I became a voice that was respected. I gave 47 "Learn the Facts" presentations about the power plant. Nearly a thousand attendees joined the fight as a direct result of my work and that presentation. I know how to get things done. As a volunteer with the Rhode Island Disaster Medical Assistance Team - Medical Reserve Corp, I know how the coronavirus impacts daily life. The passion, dedication and commitment I mustered to defeat Invenergy, I can bring to the Senate to help move Rhode Island to a better economy, a well staffed health care and assisted living system, a robust clean environment and an efficient sustainable energy program. My message is clear - we need a voice that is respected in the State House. We need a voice of fairness and equality. A voice that draws people together instead of pushing them apart. A voice that defines success not by being liked but who works with local folks instead of working for outside national interests. Simply put, we don't have one now.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

In the last two years, nothing got done with the voice we now have in our State legislature. If you believe that the protection and continued operation of the Eleanor Slater Hospital - Zambarano Unit is important for long term quality health care for patients and as a local source of jobs, then you should be concerned.
If you live in North Smithfield and worry about forest clear cutting, you should be concerned.
If you believe in up-to-date 911 services, efforts to open the Glocester Senior Center due to COVID-19 issues, then you don't have a voice in the State legislature to help you out. If you receive your social security check, your medications, bills and important documents through the United States Postal Service, then you should be concerned because your current voice in the State Senate may be counter to your life saving needs.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Health care - adequate staffing for long term and nursing home care. Energy and jobs - we can do better with creating new opportunities for job growth by incentivizing solar and wind installations. Climate change and the environment. As a volunteer with the Rhode Island Disaster Medical Assistance Team - Medical Reserve Corp, I know how the coronavirus impacts daily life. The passion, dedication and commitment I mustered to defeat Invenergy, I can bring to the Senate to help move Rhode Island to a better economy, a well staffed health care and assisted living system, a robust clean environment and an efficient sustainable energy program.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My parents. See above.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I know how to get things done.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Get things done. Incrementalism is fine on paper, but getting things done can be a defining moment.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Two very happy and healthy children.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I grew up in Providence in what is now known as the North End of Providence. My mother, Sylvia, attended nursing school late in life and became an LPN - a licensed practical nurse. My mother worked the "graveyard" shift from 11pm to 7am 5 nights a week at Lying-In Hospital taking care of preemie babies. My father, Guido, was an auto-body mechanic who could discern a problem just by listening to the sound the engine made. I grew up with three siblings - my two sisters became RN's, my brother became a contractor and builder, and I became a documentary film maker. As a kid, I loved watching Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. I never wanted to be the animal handler Jim Fowler or host Marlin Perkins. I wanted to be the person behind the camera.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Dishwasher for a catering firm. I started at 16 and had it for two summers.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

I'm alive by......

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Wanting to do too much.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Health care, jobs and the green economy. Seems we are stuck in the business as usual model for our state. Procurement should be aligned with our sense of urgency in the climate crisis. Preservation of our farmlands and forests.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?

Working in unison and the same vision listening to constituents while always moving towards a common ideal.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes. Conversation leads to knowledge.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Prohibition on using partisan data. Prohibition on favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, candidate or party. Preservation of communities of interest: Geographical areas, such as neighborhoods of a city or regions of a state, where the residents have common political interests that do not necessarily coincide with the boundaries of a political subdivision, such as a city or county.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Environment, health care, job creation, energy.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Governor

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Paul Roselli campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47	Lost general	$0	$0
2022	Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47	Lost general	$744	$0
2020	Rhode Island State Senate District 23	Lost general	$3,971	N/A**
2018	Rhode Island State Senate District 23	Lost primary	$12,547	N/A**
Grand total			$17,263	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on August 25, 2020

[show]

Current members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:K. Shekarchi

Majority Leader:Christopher Blazejewski

Minority Leader:Michael Chippendale

Representatives

District 1

Edith Ajello (D)

District 2

Christopher Blazejewski (D)

District 3

Nathan Biah (D)

District 4

Rebecca Kislak (D)

District 5

Anthony DeSimone (D)

District 6

Raymond Hull (D)

District 7

David Morales (D)

District 8

John Lombardi (D)

District 9

Enrique Sanchez (D)

District 10

Scott Slater (D)

District 11

Grace Diaz (D)

District 12

Jose Batista (D)

District 13

Ramon Perez (D)

District 14

Charlene Lima (D)

District 15

Chris Paplauskas (R)

District 16

Brandon Potter (D)

District 17

Jacquelyn Baginski (D)

District 18

Arthur Handy (D)

District 19

Joseph McNamara (D)

District 20

David Bennett (D)

District 21

Marie Hopkins (R)

District 22

Joseph Solomon (D)

District 23

K. Shekarchi (D)

District 24

Evan Shanley (D)

District 25

Thomas Noret (D)

District 26

Earl Read (D)

District 27

Patricia Serpa (D)

District 28

George Nardone (R)

District 29

Sherry Roberts (R)

District 30

Justine Caldwell (D)

District 31

Julie Casimiro (D)

District 32

Robert Craven (D)

District 33

Carol McEntee (D)

District 34

Teresa Tanzi (D)

District 35

Kathleen Fogarty (D)

District 36

Tina Spears (D)

District 37

Samuel Azzinaro (D)

District 38

Brian Kennedy (D)

District 39

Megan Cotter (D)

District 40

Michael Chippendale (R)

District 41

Robert Quattrocchi (R)

District 42

Richard Fascia (R)

District 43

Deborah Fellela (D)

District 44

Gregory Costantino (D)

District 45

Mia Ackerman (D)

District 46

Mary Shallcross-Smith (D)

District 47

David Place (R)

District 48

Brian Newberry (R)

District 49

Jon Brien (I)

District 50

Stephen Casey (D)

District 51

Robert Phillips (D)

District 52

Alex Marszalkowski (D)

District 53

Paul Santucci (R)

District 54

William O'Brien (D)

District 55

Arthur Corvese (D)

District 56

Joshua Giraldo (D)

District 57

Brandon Voas (D)

District 58

Cherie Cruz (D)

District 59

Jennifer Stewart (D)

District 60

Karen Alzate (D)

District 61

Leonela Felix (D)

District 62

Mary Messier (D)

District 63

Katherine Kazarian (D)

District 64

Jenni Furtado (D)

District 65

Matthew Dawson (D)

District 66

Jennifer Boylan (D)

District 67

Jason Knight (D)

District 68

June Speakman (D)

District 69

Susan Donovan (D)

District 70

John Edwards (D)

District 71

Michelle McGaw (D)

District 72

Terri-Denise Cortvriend (D)

District 73

Marvin Abney (D)

District 74

Alex Finkelman (D)

District 75

Lauren Carson (D)

Democratic Party (64)

Republican Party (10)

Independent (1)

[bio-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on August 25, 2020

[1]

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Paul Roselli

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 47

2020

General election

General election for Rhode Island State Senate District 23

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Rhode Island State Senate District 23

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Rhode Island State Senate District 23

2018

General election

General election for Rhode Island State Senate District 23

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Rhode Island State Senate District 23

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Rhode Island State Senate District 23

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

2022

2020

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

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