Charlestown choice makes some life changes

Aaron Regunberg's next steps

By Will Collette

Aaron Regunberg ran against incumbent Dan McKee for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor in the 2018 primary. 

He ran with the enthusiastic endorsement of Charlestown Democrats and carried Charlestown by more than 10 percentage points. 

Unfortunately, he was not able to squeak out a  win statewide, losing by only 2% against an entrenched incumbent.

In a January 11 e-mail, Aaron stated:

I am actively considering another run for public office in 2022. I still believe deeply in the vision I ran on last year - that our government can and must work for everyone in our state. Growing up, my mom always taught me if you get knocked down, you get back up and try again.

He is staying in politics, becoming Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza's Senior Advisor on Policy today. 

He will collaborate with community partners to support cradle-to-career and universal pre-K education initiatives while advancing work related to equitable and affordable housing opportunities here in the city.

“Aaron has proved a committed advocate for critical issues impacting folks throughout Providence and the entire State of Rhode Island,” said Mayor Elorza. “I look forward to working with Aaron as we develop progressive and inclusive policies that make Providence a city that works for and invests in every single resident.”

Aaron will work full-time at that job until the fall when he begins another big life initiative:

In the fall of 2019, I will also be enrolling at Harvard Law School to gain another set of tools to fight for climate action, economic justice, immigrant rights, and reproductive freedom now and in the future. I'll be commuting up to Cambridge from my home in Providence, so I plan to remain involved with the City and with local advocacy for the issues I've been fighting for over the last ten years.

Most recently, Regunberg served two terms as a State Representative for Rhode Island House District 4 from 2015 – 2019 during which he championed a progressive agenda that successfully guaranteed paid sick leave for over 100,000 Rhode Islanders, raised the state’s tipped minimum wage for the first time in two decades, secured online voter registration and expanded renewable energy programs, among other legislative accomplishments.

A resident of Providence’s Mount Hope neighborhood, Regunberg earned a B.A. from Brown University, magna cum laude. In addition to his service as a State Representative, Regunberg previously served as the Founding Executive Director of the Providence Student Union, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the power of students in influencing education outcomes.