The rhode island delegation

congressional officials …

Given its small size, Rhode Island has difficulty proving its demographic diversity.  The delegation is also very new, with both House members being freshmen elected in 2022.

Of the four members in the 2022-2023 class, all four are male, although one, Congressman Amo in the first district, is minority representation through the end of the year. The two Senators are lawyers, and the two House members come from the political and business worlds.

Three hold graduate degrees, with none of the members receiving degrees conferred from a Rhode Island college or university.

Senator Reed is an Army veteran.

The average tenure for the delegation currently is only 2.5 terms, assuming, of course, everyone completes their service by the end of 2024. The longest-serving member has been in Congress since 1996.

When you look at these profiles, we have given each a letter grade for their effort this Congress, based on various factors, which you will find in What Is Thomas Looking For? These letter grades are probably pretty familiar to you if you have ever been a school student (we hope the answer to that is we all have!)

If you see a meager score for a particular member, it will probably be due to one or two key factors: ethics challenges or anti-democratic behavior.

• Republicans have been hit hard on their lack of pushback on former President Trump and their support of election denying in the 2020 presidential campaign. The unanswered soaring deficit on their watch, the dismantling of allied relationships around the globe, and opposition to funding anti-authoritarian initiatives. The denial of climate change weighs heavily on us as well. We make no secret that transparency and Government in the Sunshine are essential to us, and we further argue that some have been awful stewards of this category. None of the Rhode Island delegation members voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results on the same evening as Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol.

• Democrats have been hit hard for their lack of progress on critical matters because they control the United States Senate and have a razor-close margin in the U.S. House of Representatives. They have not been innovative or necessarily insistent on finding rational, reasonable solutions to the problems plaguing the American public today. We want to see more and better.

• Both have been dinged for being too partisan and not collaborative where evident. In our opinion, being too doctrinaire or an obstructionist to good government in the 21st century does not get one a good grade from Thomas.

We are also indicating what we believe today might be the outcome of these Members’ 2024 elections. The overwhelming majority of House members were re-elected in 2022, and one of the two United States Senators is up for re-election this season.

Our prospect ratings fall into three categories:

• Safe Bet - which means what it means. These members of Congress are running strong and look to be overwhelming prospects for re-election at this time. However, we reserve the right to re-categorize their chances if necessary.

• It’s A Race - means this race is too close to call, and we can not reasonably predict who will win this seat.

• Nudging - means the seat is leaning one way or another for this candidate. We have just a small number of current members of Congress in this category. Senator Whitehouse is included since he has a race in 2024. Stay tuned!

So, would you like to meet these fascinating Rhode Islanders? If so, keep reading on!

what is thomas looking for?

There are no vulnerable races in Rhode Island for Thomas to watch in 2024.

the senators

United States Senator jack reed (d)

Rhode Island’s senior senator, Jack Reed, is a five-term member of the U.S. Senate having last been re-elected in 2020. He serves on the Appropriations Committee; the Armed Services Committee which he chairs; and the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Senator Reed also earned an MPP and law degree from Harvard University.  Married with one child, the Senator is Dean of the Rhode Island delegation.

Thomas Take: Not Up for Re-Election in 2024

Thomas Rank: A

Website

United states senator sheldon whitehouse (D)

Rhode Island’s junior senator is completing his third term in the U.S. Senate and has announced for re-election. A former Rhode Island Attorney General, Senator Whitehouse holds an undergraduate degree from Yale University and a law degree from the University of Virginia.  The Senator is chair of the Budget Committee and also serves on the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Judiciary Committee.  He is married and the father of two.

Thomas Take: Running for Re-Election - Safe Bet Democrat

Thomas Rank: B

Website

the representatives