Newport This Week

General Assembly Forum Enlightens Voters


By James Merolla

The first in a series of one-hour virtual forums went off without a hitch on Aug. 6 for six local state general assembly candidates facing a primary election on Sept. 8.

Watch the video here:

The forum was a collaboration among The Alliance for a Livable Newport, East Bay TV, the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce, the League of Women Voters Newport County, Newport Buzz, Newport This Week and WADK radio.

The candidates are incumbent Deborah Ruggiero, (D-74 Jamestown, Middletown), and her challenger, Henry “Rick” Lombardi; incumbent Terri Cortvriend, (D-72 Portsmouth, Middletown), and her challenger, Christopher Semonelli; and Michelle McGaw and John Edwards V for the D-71 open seat (Portsmouth, Little Compton, Tiverton). All six are Democrats.

Lynne Tungett, NTW owner and editor, served as host. The moderator was Joseph Pratt, executive director and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County and chair of the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee (GAC).

Questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters and GAC.

All the candidates favor expanded access to early voting. Edwards said that after the pandemic the state should reexamine the voter ID registration requirements. (Read More)

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