Former Newport Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong entered the race for Rhode Island lieutenant governor Monday, becoming the latest Democrat to join a crowded primary field ahead of the state’s Sept. 8 primary.
Khamsyvoravong, the son of a Laotian refugee and a Providence pediatrician, framed his campaign around economic anxiety and what he called government’s failure to keep pace with change.
“Government has failed to adapt to change, and now people like Donald Trump are pitting us against one another,” he said in his announcement. “It’s time for a new generation of leadership with bold ideas — like the investments we made when I was mayor, in housing, infrastructure, and education — without raising taxes on working families.”
Khamsyvoravong, who goes by Xay (pronounced “Sigh”), was elected to the Newport City Council before being unanimously selected by his peers to serve as mayor. He was re-elected as a councilor at-large in 2024. During his tenure, Newport created the state’s first resiliency department — combining utilities, public works and planning — and made investments in workforce housing and schools while lowering taxes.
He also served as deputy chief of staff to Rhode Island’s state treasurer, helping navigate the 2008 financial crisis, and chaired Providence Water for nearly a decade, where he shifted the utility to solar power and saved nearly $1 million a year in energy costs.
On Monday morning, Khamsyvoravong planned to host a “Pancakes and Primary Care” roundtable with primary care professionals at an IHOP in East Providence, followed by a kickoff event with supporters in Newport.
He joins a Democratic primary field that already includes incumbent Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos, former state Sen. Cindy Coyne of Barrington, and Providence City Councilor Sue AnderBois.
Khamsyvoravong enters the race as the best-funded candidate in the field. Year-end campaign finance reports show he raised $43,695 from individuals and $200 from political action committees in the fourth quarter of 2025 alone, closing the year with $158,907 on hand — a figure The Alexandria Brief first reported in February. Coyne trails with $101,662, followed by Matos with $68,000 and AnderBois with $66,000, according to Rhode Island Current. John Loughlin is the only Republican in the race, with $17,328 in the bank.
Matos, who immigrated from the Dominican Republic and became the first Latina president of the Providence City Council, formally launched her re-election bid Feb. 4. She has emphasized her record on grocery access and affordable housing, and has touted a close working relationship with Gov. Dan McKee, who is facing his own primary challenge from former CVS Health executive Helena Bounanno Foulkes.
Rhode Island’s general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
