Langevin won’t seek reelection, opening Rhode Island seat

Rhode Island has not yet completed redistricting, but draft lines under consideration by the state legislature would keep both seats tilting toward Democrats.

Langevin’s departure is shocking in part because Rhode Island defied most reapportionment projections to keep its second House district after the 2020 Census. And when it was at risk of dropping down to one at-large district, Langevin insisted he planned to seek reelection — even if it meant challenging his fellow Democratic Rep. David Cicilline.

“I’m definitely running for reelection,” Langevin said in a brief interview as he exited the House floor ahead of the release of the Census reapportionment data in April 2021.

Even if there’s only one seat? “Absolutely.”

Langevin won reelection with 58 percent of the vote in 2020, when now-President Joe Biden won 56 percent in his district. There is a wide bench of Democratic candidates who could replace him ahead of the Sept. 13 primary. The filing deadline is June 29.

State House Speaker Joe Shekarchi, Democratic National Committee Member Liz Beretta Perik, former Cranston Mayor Michael Napolitano and Gabe Amo, an adviser to former Gov. Gina Raimondo who now works in the Biden administration, are all names to watch.