Rhode Island, or the Ocean State, enters 2026 as another reliable Democratic stronghold in New England. Democrats currently control both of the state’s Senate seats & both House districts, giving the party complete control of Rhode Island’s federal delegation. Incumbent Senator Jack Reed is seeking another term alongside House incumbents Gabe Amo in RI-01 & Seth Magaziner in RI-02. All three enter the election cycle in strong positions to return to Washington.
There is little reason to expect Republicans to break through federally in Rhode Island this year. The Cook Political Report rates Reed’s Senate race, RI-01, & RI-02 all as Solid Democratic. RI-02 is somewhat more competitive on paper with a D+4 partisan lean, compared with D+12 in RI-01, but Magaziner remains strongly favored. With the national political environment creating additional problems for Republicans, Democrats should be positioned to maintain their sweep of the Ocean State’s congressional delegation.
Rhode Islanders will cast their primary ballots on September 9th & will return to the polls for the general election on November 3rd. Early voting for the primary began on August 20th, while early voting for the general begins October 14th.
Senate:
Incumbent Senator Jack Reed (male, 76) is seeking a sixth term representing Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate. Reed has held the seat since 1997 after previously serving three terms in the U.S. House. Before entering politics, Reed graduated from West Point, served as an Army officer with the 82nd Airborne Division, taught at West Point, & later earned degrees from Harvard before practicing law. Today, Reed is one of the Senate’s leading voices on defense policy, serving as the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee while also serving on Appropriations, Banking, & Intelligence.
Reed does face two Democrats in the September primary. Connor Burbridge (male, 31) is an eldercare worker, small farming cooperative owner, & first-time candidate who is challenging Reed from the left. Luis Muñoz (male, 41) is a consultant who previously ran for governor in both 2018 & 2022. While both provide alternatives for Democratic voters, neither has the political infrastructure, fundraising ability, or name recognition Reed has built over nearly three decades in the Senate. An April University of New Hampshire poll showed Reed at 65% compared with 15% for Burbridge, further demonstrating the incumbent’s advantage.
Reed’s background also fits Rhode Island particularly well. Raised in Cranston by a school janitor father & homemaker mother, he has maintained a focus on working families, housing, infrastructure, healthcare, & consumer protections while also becoming one of the country’s most experienced lawmakers on military & national security issues. Reed has been especially critical of Trump’s war with Iran, arguing that the President entered an unauthorized conflict that is straining the military & raising costs at home.
Unless something changes dramatically before the September 9th primary, Reed should easily secure the Democratic nomination. Republican Ray McKay & independent Michael Bahry are already positioned for the November ballot, but Rhode Island’s strong Democratic lean & Reed’s enormous incumbency advantage make him the overwhelming favorite to win another term.
House:
RI-01: Gabe Amo (male, 38) should have little trouble returning to Congress. Amo first won the seat in a 2023 special election & became the first person of color to represent Rhode Island in Congress. A Pawtucket native, Amo is the son of Liberian & Ghanaian immigrants & previously worked in both the Obama & Biden administrations as well as for former Governor Gina Raimondo. His priorities include economic opportunity, protecting Social Security, gun violence prevention, reproductive rights, climate resilience, & protecting democracy. Amo is unopposed in the Democratic primary & will face Republican Kellie Keenan in November. Cook rates RI-01 Solid Democratic with a D+12 partisan lean, making Amo one of the safest Democrats on the ballot.
RI-02: Seth Magaziner (male, 43) represents the more politically balanced of Rhode Island’s two districts, but he still enters 2026 in a strong position. Magaziner served as Rhode Island’s General Treasurer for eight years before winning election to Congress in 2022. A former public school teacher & investment professional, he has focused on lowering prescription drug costs, protecting Social Security & Medicare, expanding career & technical education, reproductive rights, & preventing members of Congress from trading stocks. Magaziner is unopposed on the Democratic ballot, while Republicans Vic Mellor & Stephen Skoly are competing for the chance to face him in November. Cook rates RI-02 Solid Democratic with a D+4 partisan lean, so while it is less blue than RI-01, Magaziner should still be heavily favored to retain the seat.
Democrats’ Best Chance to Flip:
There simply is not a federal seat for Democrats to flip in Rhode Island in 2026. Jack Reed is heavily favored to retain his Senate seat, while Gabe Amo & Seth Magaziner should both return to the House. The more interesting question is not whether Democrats can gain ground, but whether they can continue to maintain their complete control of the state’s federal delegation.
RI-02 is the race worth watching most closely because it is less Democratic than RI-01, but even there Magaziner enters with a significant advantage. Unless the national political environment shifts dramatically toward Republicans, Rhode Island should once again send an entirely Democratic delegation to Washington.
For Democrats in the Ocean State, 2026 should be less about survival & more about maintaining engagement, developing future candidates, & continuing to build the party’s bench. With longtime leaders like Reed paired with younger members like Amo & Magaziner, Rhode Island Democrats appear well-positioned both for this election & for the next generation of leadership. Voters will make the final decision in the general election on November 3rd.
Recent Interviews
- Jack Reed- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhsBMqyyvXU
- Gabe Amo- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNd-NKL8egg
- Seth Magaziner- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnvGQBfU4NM
Take Action
- Ballotpedia- serves as an initial go-to for candidates and races at all levels: https://ballotpedia.org/Rhode_Island
- Cook Political Report- CPR evaluates races by competitiveness: https://www.cookpolitical.com/
- Help Jack Reed- https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jack-reed
- Help Gabe Amo- https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ffpacus-all-email-nov2023-fr-gabeamo
- Help Seth Magaziner- https://sethmagaziner.com/contribute/?am=other