Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Rhode Island State Senate elections, 2022
|
2024 →
← 2020
|
|
| 2022 Rhode Island Senate Elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Primary | September 13, 2022 |
| General | November 8, 2022 |
| Past Election Results |
| 2020・2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008 |
| 2022 Elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
Elections for the Rhode Island State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for September 13, 2022. The filing deadline was July 15, 2022.
The chamber's Democratic supermajority remained 33-5.
The Rhode Island State Senate was one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2022. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Party control
| Rhode Island State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 8, 2022 | After November 9, 2022 | |
| Democratic Party | 33 | 33 | |
| Republican Party | 5 | 5 | |
| Total | 38 | 38 | |
Candidates
General
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection
Primary
Rhode Island State Senate Primary 2022 |
|||
|
|||
| Office |  Democratic |
 Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
|
|
| District 2 |
|
No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
|
| District 3 |
No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
|
|
| District 4 |
No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
|
|
| District 5 |
Did not make the ballot: |
No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
|
| District 6 |
|
||
| District 7 |
No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
|
|
| District 8 |
|
|
|
| District 9 |
Did not make the ballot: |
|
|
| District 10 |
|
|
|
| District 11 |
|
||
| District 12 |
|
|
|
| District 13 |
Did not make the ballot: |
|
|
| District 14 |
|
||
| District 15 |
|
|
|
| District 16 |
|
No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
|
| District 17 |
|
|
|
| District 18 |
|
||
| District 19 |
|
|
|
| District 20 |
|
|
|
| District 21 |
|
|
|
| District 22 |
Did not make the ballot: |
|
|
| District 23 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
|
|
| District 24 |
|
Did not make the ballot: |
|
| District 25 |
No candidates filed for the Republican primary Did not make the ballot: |
|
|
| District 26 |
Did not make the ballot: |
|
|
| District 27 |
|
No candidates filed for the Republican primary Did not make the ballot: |
|
| District 28 |
|
No candidates filed for the Republican primary Did not make the ballot: |
|
| District 29 |
Christopher Barker Did not make the ballot: |
|
|
| District 30 |
Did not make the ballot: |
|
|
| District 31 |
Did not make the ballot: |
|
|
| District 32 |
|
||
| District 33 |
No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
|
|
| District 34 |
|
|
|
| District 35 |
|
Did not make the ballot: |
|
| District 36 |
|
|
|
| District 37 |
Did not make the ballot: |
Did not make the ballot: |
|
| District 38 |
|
||
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Click a link below to read survey responses from candidates in that district:
- District 1
- District 2
- District 3
- District 4
- District 5
- District 6
- District 7
- District 8
- District 9
- District 10
- District 11
- District 12
- District 13
- District 14
- District 15
- District 16
- District 17
- District 18
- District 19
- District 20
- District 21
- District 22
- District 23
- District 24
- District 25
- District 26
- District 27
- District 28
- District 29
- District 30
- District 31
- District 32
- District 33
- District 34
- District 35
- District 36
- District 37
- District 38
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in general elections
No incumbents lost in general elections.
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
One incumbent lost in the Sept. 13 primaries.
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Jeanine Calkin |  Democratic |
Senate District 30 |
Retiring incumbents
Seven incumbents were not on the ballot in 2022.[1] Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Office | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Arthur Seveney | Democratic |
Senate District 11 | Retired |
| Cynthia Mendes | Democratic |
Senate District 18 | Other office |
| Steve Archambault | Democratic |
Senate District 22 | Retired |
| Michael McCaffrey | Democratic |
Senate District 29 | Retired |
| Kendra Anderson | Democratic |
Senate District 31 | Retired |
| Cynthia Armour Coyne | Democratic |
Senate District 32 | Retired |
| Dennis Algiere |  Republican |
Senate District 38 | Retired |
Primary election competitiveness
This section contains data on state legislative primary election competitiveness in Rhode Island. These totals include data from all regularly-scheduled House and Senate elections. For more information about Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in Rhode Island in 2022. Information below was calculated on Sept. 2, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
Rhode Island had 44 contested state legislative primaries in 2022, 19% of the total number of possible primaries, and a 29% increase from 2020.
The rate of contested primaries in 2022 was at its highest point compared to the four preceding election cycles.
Of the 44 contested primaries, there were 39 for Democrats and five for Republicans. For Democrats, this was up from 33 in 2020, an 18% increase. For Republicans, the number was up 80% from one in 2020.
Thirty-two incumbents faced primary challenges, representing 32% of all incumbents running for re-election. This was similarly the highest rate compared to the four preceding election cycles.
Of the 32 incumbents in contested primaries, 30 were Democrats and two were Republicans.
Overall, 236 major party candidates—159 Democrats and 77 Republicans—filed to run. All 75 House and 38 Senate seats were up for election.
Fourteen of those seats were open, meaning no incumbents filed. This guaranteed that at least 12% of the legislature would be represented by newcomers next year, the second-largest such percentage compared to the four preceding election cycles behind 2018 when 13% of seats were guaranteed to newcomers.
Open seats
The table below shows the number and percentage of open seats in the Rhode Island State Senate from 2010 to 2022.[2] It will be updated as information becomes available following the state’s candidate filing deadline.
| Open Seats in Rhode Island State Senate elections: 2010 - 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2022 | 38 | 7 (18 percent) | 31 (82 percent) |
| 2020 | 38 | 4 (11 percent) | 34 (89 percent) |
| 2018 | 38 | 5 (13 percent) | 33 (87 percent) |
| 2016 | 38 | 1 (3 percent) | 37 (97 percent) |
| 2014 | 38 | 2 (5 percent) | 36 (95 percent) |
| 2012 | 38 | 3 (8 percent) | 35 (92 percent) |
| 2010 | 38 | 5 (13 percent) | 33 (87 percent) |
Process to become a candidate
See statutes: Rhode Island General Laws, Title 17, Chapter 14
In Rhode Island, all candidates must adhere to the same filing procedure, regardless of partisan affiliation. First, a candidate must file a declaration of candidacy. A candidate for statewide or federal office must submit this form to the Rhode Island Secretary of State. A candidate for the state legislature must file the declaration with the local board of canvassers in the city or town where he or she is registered to vote. Declarations of candidacy may be filed during the last consecutive Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in June of the election year.[3][4]
A party candidate uses the declaration of candidacy to declare partisan affiliation, as well. If a candidate belongs to a party but wishes to run under a different party label, he or she must disaffiliate from the original party 90 days prior to filing the declaration of candidacy. Party-affiliated candidates may choose to run as independent candidates. Likewise, unaffiliated candidates may file as party candidates. Once they do, they automatically become members of the party.[3][5]
In Rhode Island, political party officials may designate candidates to represent their parties in primaries and general elections. Such designations are called endorsements. A party's state committee is responsible for making endorsements for federal and statewide candidates; senatorial and representative district committees make endorsements for state legislative candidates. A majority of the committee's members must sign an endorsement form in order to endorse a particular candidate. Endorsements by district committees must be made by 4:00 p.m. on the day after the last day of the filing period. Endorsements by the state committee must be made by 4:00 p.m. on the second day after the final day of the filing period.[3][6][7]
Regardless of endorsement status, a candidate for federal, statewide, or state legislative office must collect signatures on nomination papers, which are issued after the candidate submits his or her declaration of candidacy. Signature requirements are the same for political party candidates as they are for unaffiliated candidates. Nomination papers become available within two business days of the final date for filing endorsements. Signature requirements are summarized in the table below.[3][8][9]
| Nomination paper signature requirements | |
|---|---|
| Office | Signatures required |
| Governor, United States Senator | 1,000 |
| United States Representative, lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer, secretary of state | 500 |
| State senator | 100 |
| State representative | 50 |
Each sheet of a nomination paper can include only signatures from voters residing in the same city or town. Papers are due to the appropriate local board of canvassers by 4:00 p.m. on the 60th day preceding the primary.[3][10]
Write-in candidates
Write-in candidates do not need to file special paperwork in order to have their votes tabulated. However, write-in candidates engaged in campaign activities may be required to comply with the state's campaign finance laws.[11][12]
Qualifications
Article III of the Rhode Island Constitution lays out the requirements for officeholders of Rhode Island's state government.
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[13] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $19,037/year | No per diem is paid. |
When sworn in
Rhode Island legislators assume office the first Tuesday in January.[14]
Rhode Island political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
Rhode Island Party Control: 1992-2025
Sixteen years of Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | I | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Presidential politics in Rhode Island
2020 Presidential election results
Presidential election in Rhode Island, 2020
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
||
| ✔ |
 
| Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) |
59.4
|
307,486 | 4 |
 
| Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) |
38.6
|
199,922 | 0 | |
 
| Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L) |
1.0
|
5,053 | 0 | |
 
| Roque De La Fuente/Darcy Richardson (Alliance Party) |
0.2
|
923 | 0 | |
 
| Gloria La Riva/Sunil Freeman (Party for Socialism and Liberation) |
0.2
|
847 | 0 | |
 
| Brian T. Carroll/Amar Patel (American Solidarity Party) |
0.1
|
767 | 0 | |
| Other write-in votes |
0.5
|
2,759 | 0 | ||
 |
Total votes: 517,757 |
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Rhode Island
Redistricting following the 2020 census
Rhode Island enacted new legislative district boundaries on February 16, 2022, when Gov. Dan McKee (D) signed redistricting legislation approved by the General Assembly. The State House of Representatives passed the new maps by a vote of 57-6 and the State Senate approved them, 29-9, on February 15, 2022. In a press release issued after Gov. McKee signed the legislation, State Representative Robert Phillips (D), co-chair of the state's legislative Reapportionment Commission, said, "It was an honor and pleasure to work with such a dedicated group of individuals on this commission. I’m particularly proud of the fact that we obtained so much input from citizens around the state, holding our meetings in several cities and towns to make it more accessible to everyone. Reapportionment can be daunting and complex, but I’m glad we took everyone’s concerns into account and came up with a fair and equitable system of reapportionment.”[15][16][17][18]
Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.
Rhode Island State Senate Districts
until January 2, 2023
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Rhode Island State Senate Districts
starting January 3, 2023
Click a district to compare boundaries.
See also
| Rhode Island | State Legislative Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 |
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines a seat as open if the incumbent did not file to run for re-election or filed but withdrew and did not appear on any ballot for his or her seat. If the incumbent withdrew from or did not participate in the primary but later chose to seek re-election to his or her seat as a third party or independent candidate, the seat would not be counted as open. If the incumbent retired or ran for a different seat in the same chamber, his or her original seat would be counted as open unless another incumbent from the same chamber filed to run for that seat, in which case it would not be counted as open due to the presence of an incumbent.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Rhode Island Secretary of State, "Rhode Island: How to Run for Office 2024," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ Rhode Island General Laws, "Title 17, Section 17-14-1," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ Rhode Island General Laws, "Title 17, Section 17-14-1.1," accessed March 26, 2014
- ↑ Rhode Island General Laws, "Title 17, Section 17-12-4," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ Rhode Island General Laws, "Title 17, Section 17-12-11," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ Rhode Island General Laws, "Title 17, Section 17-14-7," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ Rhode Island General Laws, "Title 17, Section 17-14-4," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ Rhode Island General Laws, "Title 17, Section 17-14-11," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ Rhode Island General Laws, "Title 17, Section 17-19-31," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ Rhode Island Board of Elections, "Procedures for Tabulating and Reporting Write-In Votes," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Rhode Island Constitution, "Article VI, Section 3," accessed February 17, 2021
- ↑ State of Rhode Island General Assembly, "Bill to reapportion House, Senate, congressional districts signed into law," accessed February 18, 2022
- ↑ State of Rhode Island General Assembly, "2022 House Journals - February 15th," accessed February 18, 2022
- ↑ State of Rhode Island General Assembly, "House Floor Votes for 2/15/2022," accessed February 18, 2022
- ↑ State of Rhode Island General Assembly, "Legislative Status Report - Senate Bill No. 2162 SUB A as amended," accessed February 18, 2022
