Protest vote nets one delegate
By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current
The Rhode Island Democratic Party in a statement Thursday announced the 12 elected delegate winners from the April 2 primary, all of whom are pledged to President Joe Biden.
Biden secured a decisive victory with 80.7% of ballots cast in the Democratic primary, according to final results certified by the Rhode Island Board of Elections Thursday. However, 14.5% of Democratic voters statewide opted for the “uncommitted” option as a signal of support for Palestine in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In the 2nd Congressional District, the protest movement was even stronger, garnering 15.2% of votes cast — just over the 15% threshold required by state party rules in its proportional allocation of delegates.
Which means one delegate representing the 2nd District uncommitted voters will head to the DNC in Chicago in August, joining the 12 other elected delegates, along with seats reserved for state officials and national party leaders who live in Rhode Island. Rhode Island will send 30 Democratic delegates to the DNC in total.
The uncommitted delegate has not been chosen, since all of the candidates who ran for delegate in the primary were Biden supporters.
Any non-binary or male Democrat can compete for the uncommitted delegate spot during the state party convention on June 9, based on the party requirement for equal representation of men and women district-level delegates. Four of the five delegates already elected to represent the 2nd Congressional District are women.
Information about how to apply for available delegate seats, including the uncommitted representative, will be shared in a subsequent party email.
“Uncommitted voters are an important part of the process, voting as Democrats and making their voices heard,” Liz Beretta-Perik, chair of the Rhode Island Democratic Party said in a statement. “Our uncommitted voters are participating in the process as Democrats. We all agree: Trump is not the answer. In November, I am confident we will unite to re-elect President Biden and Vice President Harris.”
Delegate candidates who have already secured their spots based on results of the April 2 primary are: Providence Mayor Brett Smiley; Sen. Sandra Cano of Pawtucket; Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera; Kristen Peters-Hamlin; Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien; Tom Kane, chairman of the Cumberland Democratic Town Committee; William Foulkes, husband of 2022 gubernatorial candidate Helena Foulkes; Mary Murphy Walsh; Melissa Carden; Erica Hammond; Autumn Guillotte; and Jay Wegimont.
Meanwhile, the Rhode Island GOP has yet to publicly finalize the 19 delegates heading to the Republican National Convention in July. Sixteen of the spots are chosen by voters, with delegates awarded to any candidate who cracks at least 10%.
While Donald Trump secured 83.7% of votes in the Republican primary, according to official results, former candidate Nikki Haley also cleared the 10% threshold required to win at least one delegate.
All of the top vote-getters among statewide and district-level Republican delegate candidates were Trump representatives, including former state Rep. Justin K. Price, who attended the Jan. 6 march to the U.S. Capitol.
Joe Powers, state GOP chairman, did not return calls for comment Thursday.
Just over 39,700 voters participated in the state’s presidential preference primary, equal to 5.1% of registered voters, Miguel Nunez, Board of Elections director, said during a meeting Thursday.
Two-thirds of ballots were cast in-person on Election Day, while another 18% were submitted by mail. The remaining 14% of voters made their selections in-person during the 20-day early voting period.
The Board of Elections approved election results by a 4-0 vote Thursday, with chairwoman Jennie Johnson and members Michael Connors and Diane Mederos absent. The board also approved results of a risk-limiting audit conducted Wednesday, in which a sample of randomly selected ballots were reviewed to confirm the accuracy of voting equipment and ballot counting from the primary.
The general election will be held on Nov. 5.
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