Rhode Island held its general election on November 8, 2016, deciding 113 legislative seats. No chamber changed party control.
Highlights
- Democrats added a seat in each chamber, reaching 64-10-1 in the House, where one independent also sits, and 33-5 in the Senate. But House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello (D) nearly lost his own seat.
- Mattiello, Speaker since 2014, trailed Steve Frias (R) in the election-night machine count and pulled ahead only once mail ballots were tallied, holding House District 15 by fewer than 90 votes.
- Seats changed hands in both directions:
- Bob Quattrocchi (R) unseated Rep. Michael Marcello (D) by about 190 votes in House District 41.
- James Seveney (D) unseated Sen. John Pagliarini (R) by about 490 votes in Senate District 11, a rematch of a January special election that Pagliarini had won.
- Democrats took two open Republican House seats: Evan Shanley (D) won District 24 by about 8 points, and Julie Casimiro (D) won District 31 by about 15 points.
- Thomas Paolino (R) won independent Edward O'Neill's Senate District 17 seat by about 280 votes.
- Rep. Robert Lancia (R) had the closest hold of the night, keeping House District 16 by 70 votes. In 54 of the 113 legislative races, only one candidate was on the ballot.
- Voters approved all 7 statewide questions. Question 1 let casino operator Twin River move the Newport Grand slots license to a new casino in Tiverton. It passed easily statewide but only narrowly in Tiverton itself. Question 2 restored the Ethics Commission's jurisdiction over legislators, which a 2009 state Supreme Court ruling had limited. The other five authorized bonds for a new veterans home, higher education, ports, environmental projects, and affordable housing (Questions 3 through 7).
Legislature
- House (75 seats): 63 D, 11 R, 1 other or vacant before the election, 64 D, 10 R, 1 other or vacant after; control stayed with Democrats.
- Senate (38 seats): 32 D, 5 R, 1 other or vacant before the election, 33 D, 5 R after; control stayed with Democrats.
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | Approves an act allowing a Twin River-Tiverton facility at William S. Canning Boulevard and Stafford Road in Tiverton to be licensed for pari-mutuel wagering, video lottery games, and casino gaming such as table games. | Passed (54.95% yes) |
| Question 2 | Amends the constitution to let the Ethics Commission investigate and penalize General Assembly members' code-of-ethics violations, including acts otherwise protected by the legislative speech-in-debate immunity. | Passed (78.11% yes) |
| Question 3 | Authorizes $27 million in general obligation bonds to complete construction of a new Veterans Home and renovate existing veterans facilities. | Passed (83.89% yes) |
| Question 4 | Authorizes $45.5 million in general obligation bonds: $25.5 million for the University of Rhode Island College of Engineering and $20 million for a URI-affiliated innovation campus program. | Passed (59.48% yes) |
| Question 5 | Authorizes $70 million in general obligation bonds: $50 million for the Port of Davisville at Quonset and $20 million for the Port of Providence. | Passed (63.29% yes) |
| Question 6 | Authorizes $35 million in general obligation bonds for historic state parks, state and local land acquisition, bikeways, brownfield cleanup, stormwater pollution prevention, and local recreation grants. | Passed (67.62% yes) |
| Question 7 | Authorizes $50 million in general obligation bonds: $40 million for affordable housing development and $10 million for urban revitalization and blight remediation. | Passed (58.04% yes) |