This story originally appeared on Rhode Island Current. It has been republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
A Jamestown resident and former U.S. Marine Corps officer has secured the backing of the Rhode Island GOP in the 1st Congressional District special election.
The Rhode Island Republican Party endorsed Gerry W. Leonard Jr. in the upcoming primary election, according to online information with the Rhode Island Department of State. Leonard, whose LinkedIn page says he is a former U.S. Marine Corps officer and now works as an “operators expert,” is one of four Republicans who submitted declaration papers signaling their intent to run in the race.
Rhode Island GOP Chairman Joe Powers did not return calls for comment Thursday. Leonard also did not respond to inquiries for comment.
The race to replace former Rep. David Cicilline, who stepped down in June to take over the Rhode Island Foundation, has focused mostly on the Democratic contenders. Yet the Rhode Island Democratic Party did not endorse any one of the 22 Democrats who have declared they are running by the July 3 deadline.
Democratic Party Chairman Joe McNamara did not return calls for comment.
Party endorsements can be a powerful way for a candidate to stand out in a crowded race, according to Wendy Schiller, a political science professor at Brown University . However, the 1st Congressional District is a Democratic stronghold, with 45% of the 338,000 registered voters identified as Democrats as of June according to state data. That’s compared with 12% Republicans while the rest were unaffiliated.
Nine independent or third-party candidates also submitted declaration paperwork, bringing the list of potential contenders to a record-setting 35 people. Candidates must get at least 500 verified signatures by July 14 to secure a spot on the ballot.
The primary is scheduled for Sept. 5 with a Nov. 7 special election.
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