During this brutal summer of 2022, the urgent need for climate action has never been more apparent. Fossil-fuel emissions are baking our towns, boiling our ocean, fouling our air, drying our farms, and unraveling the web of life worldwide. At this stage of the climate crisis, only large-scale political action can safeguard our future.

Climate Action RI expects our politicians to share these values. Our five grassroots, all-volunteer political teams covering every region of the state have spent months researching and interviewing candidates for elected office at every level of government. Candidates are asked to complete a detailed questionnaire compiled jointly by Clean Water Action, CARI, and the Sierra Club. In competitive races, they are also asked to sit for an interview with a team of CARI volunteers from their region. Voting records and campaign websites are scrutinized. Our regional teams recommend endorsements to our statewide Politics Team, which in turn votes on every endorsement. Finally, all decisions are ratified by CARI’s Leadership Team.

Our process is laborious but gives us confidence in the results. If you are a Rhode Island voter and climate change is an important issue to you, then please consider these endorsements when you head to the polls on Tuesday, September 13 and Tuesday, November 8.

Use this page to look up your district numbers and polling location.


General Election Endorsements

CARI 2022 General Election Endorsements

Primary Election Endorsements

CARI's 2022 endorsees

 

For Statewide and Federal Office

Governor: Sec. Nellie Gorbea

Please read our full endorsement statement of Nellie Gorbea for Governor.

Lieutenant Governor: Sen. Cynthia Mendes and Rep. Deb Ruggiero (dual endorsement)

Please read our full endorsement statement for the Lieutenant Governor’s race.

Attorney General: Peter Neronha

Campaign website

General Treasurer: James Diossa

Campaign website

U.S. Congress, District 1: David Cicilline
U.S. Congress, District 2: Seth Magaziner

Please read our full endorsement statement for Seth Magaziner for Congress.

 

For Rhode Island State House of Representatives

HD 2: Maj. Leader Chris Blazejewski (Providence)

CARI likes candidates who talk a good game on climate, but we love candidates who actually deliver. Majority Leader Blazejewski is, in his own words, “the fossil fuel industry’s worst nightmare.” He strongly and vocally supported our 2021 and 2022 top priority bills—the Act On Climate and the 100% Renewable Energy Standard—and deserves credit for shepherding them into law. With the Act On Climate, in particular, he was its lead sponsor for several years before the year it passed, and he personally led the House floor debate during final passage. He was also instrumental in blocking the pyrolysis bill that would have expedited a new polluting facility in the Port of Providence. Going forward, Leader Blazejewski says “climate is more important than ever” and is prioritizing Act On Climate implementation. We offer him our enthusiastic endorsement.

Campaign website

HD 4: Rep. Rebecca Kislak (Providence)
HD 7: Rep. David Morales (Providence)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

Campaign website

HD 9: Enrique Sanchez (Providence)
HD14: Giona Picheco (Cranston, Providence)
HD16: Rep. Brandon Potter (Cranston)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

HD20: Rep. David Bennett (Warwick)
HD23: Speaker Joe Shekarchi (Warwick)

In a first for CARI, we are endorsing the sitting Speaker of the House of Representatives, Joe Shekarchi. In his first two years leading the chamber, Speaker Shekarchi chalked up significant accomplishments, including:

  • passing the Act On Climate
  • blocking the pyrolysis (“advanced recycling”) bill that the Senate had passed, and publicizing his opposition
  • passing the 100% Renewable Energy Standard, incentivizing Rhode Island to get all electricity from renewable sources by 2033
  • passing a bill to procure up to 1000 MW of additional offshore wind power

In 2023, the Speaker plans to host an international climate conference here in Rhode Island, under the auspices of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation. His goal is to tout Rhode Island’s climate laws and get other states to copy them. This may actually be the biggest thing Rhode Island can do for the global climate — magnifying our impact beyond our own state’s footprint. Meeting the Act On Climate’s 2030 targets will require more ambitious bills to be passed, particularly addressing transportation emissions. We believe the Speaker who passed Act On Climate will also do what’s necessary to implement it.

HD26: Samara Yelle (W. Warwick, Coventry)
HD28: Scott Guthrie (Coventry)
HD30: Rep. Justine Caldwell (E. Greenwich, W. Greenwich)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

HD31: Melissa Devine (Exeter, N. Kingstown)
HD33: Rep. Carol McEntee (Narragansett, S. Kingstown)
HD34: Rep. Teresa Tanzi (Narragansett, S. Kingstown)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

HD35: Rep. Kathleen Fogarty (S. Kingstown)
HD36: Tina Spears (Charlestown, New Shoreham, S. Kingstown)
HD39: Megan Cotter (Charlestown, Exeter, Richmond)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

HD47: Paul Roselli (Burrillville, Glocester)

(Re-endorsed from 2020, when he ran for Senate. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

HD48: Paul Jones (Burrillville, N. Smithfield)
HD49: Alex Kithes (Woonsocket)

CARI is proud to endorse our group’s former Politics Chair, Alex Kithes. CARI previously endorsed Alex in his 2020 run for Woonsocket City Council. As a long-time activist, community organizer and former Woonsocket City Council seat holder he’s running to bring that experience to the General Assembly and help pass legislation that will tackle the climate crisis with an eye toward social and racial justice. By representing District 49 he aims to work for achieving climate goals while striving for better education, healthcare, affordable housing and more good-paying jobs.

HD51: Marlene Guay (Cumberland, Woonsocket)

(Re-endorsed from 2020, when she ran for City Council. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

HD55: Clara Hardy (N. Providence)

Clara is a progressive candidate who supports the climate, environmental justice, and energy policies that are central to CARI’s mission. As an experienced a social worker working with marginalized communities, Clara understands the need for more affordable housing and new zoning and transportation policies that will help our communities thrive. She has previously worked with the George Wiley Center and understands the importance of making the clean energy transition affordable to all Rhode Islanders. We offer her our enthusiastic endorsement.

HD57: Brandon Voas (Central Falls, Cumberland)

As a newcomer to running for political office Brandon Voas seeks to bring a more environmentally-friendly outlook to the representation of District 57. Brandon looks forward to working with Climate Action RI in helping to pass the future climate legislation that will advance our group’s goals.

HD58: Cherie Cruz (Pawtucket)
HD61: Rep. Leonela Felix (Pawtucket)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

HD64: Rep. Brianna Henries (E. Providence)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

HD65: San Shoppell (E. Providence)

San Shoppell has been a longtime member of environmental groups such as The Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club and Earth Justice. She understands that the climate crisis is a global crisis that, here in Rhode Island, will be devastating to our extensive shorelines. San’s activism put her in the forefront of the passage of the Reproductive Privacy Act as a volunteer for The Womxn Project. Through that work she became aware of the basic needs of the RI community for housing and health care and how environmental concerns intersect with those issues, especially in minority neighborhoods. She is passionate about learning and collaborating on initiatives that reflect on these issues and move RI toward a cleaner, greener future. 

HD71: Rep. Michelle McGaw (Little Compton, Portsmouth, Tiverton)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

HD72: Rep. Terri Cortvriend (Middletown, Portsmouth)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

HD75: Rep. Lauren Carson (Newport)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

 

For Rhode Island State Senate

SD3: Sen. Sam Zurier (Providence)
SD5: Sen. Sam Bell (Providence)

(Re-endorsed from 2018 and 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

SD6: Sen. Tiara Mack (Providence)
SD11: Linda Ujifusa (Bristol, Portsmouth, Tiverton)
SD13: Sen. Dawn Euer (Newport)

(Re-endorsed from 2018 and 2020.) Among her many accomplishments, Dawn built the coalition and led the passage of the Act On Climate in the Senate; she also sponsored, and shepherded into law, up to 1000 more megawatts of offshore wind for Rhode Island this decade. Dawn is a powerhouse of successful climate activism who doesn’t just talk about the stakes of the climate crisis, but gets the job done.

SD14: Sen. Val Lawson (E. Providence)
SD15: Sen. Meghan Kallman (N. Providence, Pawtucket)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

SD16: Sen. Jonathon Acosta (Central Falls, Pawtucket)
SD21: Jenny Bui (Coventry, Foster, Scituate, W. Greenwich)
SD22: Melanie Dupont (Johnston, N. Providence, Smithfield)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

SD26: Eric Asselin (Cranston)
SD29: Jennifer Rourke (Warwick)
SD30: Sen. Jeanine Calkin (Warwick)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

SD32: Susannah Holloway (Barrington, Bristol, E. Providence)
SD34: Jen Douglas (Charlestown, Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond, W. Greenwich)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

SD35: Sen. Bridget Valverde (E. Greenwich, Narragansett, S. Kingstown, N. Kingstown)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

SD36: Sen. Alana DiMario (Narragansett, N. Kingstown)

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

SD38: Victoria Gu (Charlestown, S. Kingstown, Westerly)

Victoria is a Democrat running to bring fresh, evidence-based solutions to the challenges we face in the 38th Senate District, which includes Westerly and parts of Charlestown and South Kingstown.
Victoria currently serves as the Chair of Charlestown’s Climate Resiliency Commission, using her leadership skills and professional background in data analysis and modeling to understand the impacts of climate change on our area and how we can leverage local, state, and federal resources to help our community adapt.
Raised in South Kingstown with a long history of community service, Victoria will be a fierce and compassionate advocate for the community and the environment.

 

For Providence Municipal Offices

Mayor of Providence: Gonzalo Cuervo

We are excited to endorse Gonzalo Cuervo for Mayor of Providence. We appreciate Gonzalo’s commitment to decarbonizing the city, improving our air quality, and implementing Providence’s Climate Justice Plan. CARI’s Leadership Team knows Gonzalo has the skills, relationships, community ties, and vision to get the job done.
Campaign website

City Council Ward 1: John Goncalves

(Re-endorsed from 2020. Read our 2020 endorsement statement.)

City Council Ward 2: Helen Anthony
City Council Ward 3: Sue AnderBois

Sue has a long history of getting into the details on energy and climate policy. She served as the State’s first director of food strategy and served on the city’s sustainability committee. She’s been a policy advocate for clean energy and climate policy and has direct experience helping municipalities in RI prepare for climate change and make necessary infrastructure investments. Sue will bring both wonkiness and passion to city council.

City Council Ward 5: Jackie Goldman
City Council Ward 9: April Brown

April Brown connects environmental concerns towards justice around jobs, housing, and building community promoting green spaces and healthy transit in Ward 9. April is the Interim Director of the Racial & Environmental Justice Committee and has worked with the State for its drinking water quality initiative. As an artist, and performer, April brings eloquence to messages about climate and community.  April plans to tackle fossil fuels in the Port of Providence and supports local disaster preparedness among other issues on the city council. You can learn more and support the campaign at: https://www.aprilforward9.com/

City Council Ward 10: Pedro Espinal

As President Pro Tempore of the Providence City Council, Councilman Pedro Espinal has fought against the storage of Liquid Propane Gas in the City of Providence, protecting the public health of historically underrepresented neighborhoods. He has also spoken out against the pyrolysis bill that would have expedited a new polluting facility in the Port of Providence. We offer Councilman Espinal our enthusiastic endorsement.

City Council Ward 14: Andrew Poyant

Providence is fortunate to have an environmental scientist running for City Council.  Andrew Poyant’s vision encompasses creating affordable housing reliant on green energy.  He supports investing in green energy infrastructure that will result in increased jobs for Rhode Islanders.  And he sees the need for environmental justice efforts such as banning the expansion of polluting industries in the Port of Providence.  Climate Action RI/350 RI is proud to endorse Andrew Poyant for Ward 14 in Providence.

 

For East Providence Municipal Offices

Mayor of East Providence: Ruarri Miller

CARI proudly endorses Ruarri Miller for Mayor of East Providence. Ruarri is a small business owner, an incremental neighborhood builder, and a longitudinal thinker. He believes that we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to use the initiatives from the federal government to empower low-to-moderate income households to make energy improvements to their homes. He is “a firm believer in anti-suburban sprawl development plans” because “moderately dense neighborhoods are greener and more socially vibrant due to their walkability and organically occurring cultural inclusiveness.” Ruarri would like to see East Providence join Central Falls and Providence by passing a Green and Complete Streets ordinance, and he has a strong vision for an East Providence where two-car households are no longer necessary. He is passionate about addressing the climate crisis, and as mayor, he would “elevate the voices of those that bring experience and knowledge to the challenges we face as a community.
Campaign website

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