Governor: Gina Raimondo
Senate: Jack Reed
House: David Cicilline and Jim Langevin
After the polls closed and votes were counted on Tuesday, November 4th, it was clear that it’s a good time to be a Democrat in Rhode Island. Every one of the candidates who were elected is a member the Democrat party. According to WPRI, this was the first time Democrats completely swept Rhode Island elections since the 1970’s.
Fortunately or unfortunately (however you see it), this means that Republicans are having a rough time. They haven’t won a statewide election since 2006, but this doesn’t mean that their voices won’t be heard.
In fact, although it was a great night for Democrats, it was not necessarily a great night for progressives. Rhode Island’s new governor, Gina Raimondo, significantly cut state worker pensions in 2011. The state’s top three political progressives all lost in the race on Tuesday night.
What does Gina Raimondo believe in?
Well, in September during the Rhode Island gubernatorial campaign, Gina Raimondo picked up a controversial endorsement from Planned Parenthood. Some believe that the endorsement may have cost Raimondo some votes, but many believed it helped her pick up some more. She picked this endorsement up shortly after her opponent picked up an endorsement from Right to Life, an opposing organization.
Planned Parenthood, as you may know, is a very active organization that provides reproductive healthcare, including abortion, to women. This shows that Gina Raimondo is pro-choice when it comes to women’s issues like abortion.
Not only is Gina Raimondo pro-choice, but she is also in opposition to the Supreme Court’s “Hobby Lobby” decision. This decision says that private companies/organizations (like your future employer!) cannot be made to provide contraception as a part of their health care programs for employees. This decision was made for employers who don’t believe in contraception based on their religious beliefs.
What does this mean for us?
Gina Raimondo has even publicly pledged to fight any attempts to restrict women’s reproductive health care. This means that Gina Raimondo will do her best to make sure that abortion and contraception are legal and easily available for you as a woman in Rhode Island. She believes that we as women are strong and smart enough to make our own decisions regarding our bodies without the help or interference from the government or our employers.
Raimondo also promised that when she was elected governor, she would try to repeal a law in 1997 that banned “partial-birth” abortions (abortions when the fetus has already died), which has already been deemed unconstitutional.
Gina Raimondo said that she decided to come out with her opinions because of her lifelong support of women’s healthcare and rights – “not just because she is running or because she is a woman – but because it is the right thing to do.”
So whether you identify as a Democrat or Republican, this race has been a win for women.
Sources:WPRI ABC Providence Journal