A surprise announcement from the Rhode Island House Speaker Joseph Sheharchi. He will not be a candidate for Congress—trying to succeed the retiring Jim Langevin. The Speaker says he has “no intention” of running for the office. The statement reads:
“Although I am humbled that Congressman Langevin and many others have mentioned me as a potential Congressional candidate, I love serving as Speaker and representing my Warwick constituents at the State House. I have no intention of seeking the Congressional seat this year. We have done great work in the past year bringing people together to address important issues facing our state, including affordable housing, pay equity, climate change, health care, and so many others. These are unprecedented times as we face a pandemic recovery involving the investment of billions of federal dollars, and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with my colleagues in the House and Senate, and the Governor, to move our state forward.
The Speaker says that there are many good candidates out there who would represent the district well.
The Speaker has not endorsed any candidate for the post yet.
(Photo Credit: House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi)