Rhode Island’s congressional influence grows with key committee assignments
The power of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation is set to increase as Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse prepare to chair two of the most powerful committees in Congress. According to reporting from The Boston Globe, the Democratic wave in the recent national election has placed U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse in positions to chair two of the most powerful committees in Congress. Reed will again have the gavel on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Simultaneously, Whitehouse will likely chair the Senate Judiciary Committee. The shift extends beyond the Senate. For the first time in their careers, Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo will be in the majority.
Brown alumni match Harvard in national governors count
The Democratic Party’s performance in Rhode Island remains steady, marking the fourth consecutive election cycle where Democrats went undefeated in statewide races. Secretary of State Gregg Amore and Treasurer James Diossa easily won reelection on Tuesday night, while Kim Ahern will be the next attorney general.
A notable trend involves the influence of Brown alumni on the national stage. With the recent victories of Iowa’s Rob Sand and Maine’s Hannah Pingree, who join Delaware’s Matt Meyer, Brown alumni now occupy three sitting Democratic governors — tied with Harvard for the most governors in the country from any one college.
Even within the Republican ranks, the influence of former party leaders persists. Former Cranston mayor and two-time Republican nominee for governor Allan Fung, now an independent, unseated Republican Chris Paplauskas in House District 15.
The newly elected officials are scheduled to take office in January.
