This will be a buy primary election season for Rhode Island, with Democratic primaries for three of the five general officer positions – governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. There is also a Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, and Republican primary for U.S. House of Representatives in the second district.
The statewide primary is Sept. 9 and the general election is Nov. 3
WhatsUpNewp is profiling each of the elections. Today we focus on the Attorney General’s race, where incumbent Peter Neronha is term limited, and therefore is not running for reelection.
The attorney general’s race promises to not only be competitive, but also expensive. Each of the four Democratic candidates has raised substantial funds We looked at the campaign finance reports for each of the candidates, but those reports only reflect campaign funds through the first quarter (March 31). The next reports, which include second quarter fundraising and expencitures, is not due until July 31.
Here are the candidates:
Kimberly Renee Ahern, 42, Democrat … Stepped down as chair of the state’s Cannabis Control Commission. Two days later she announced she was running for attorney general. She served as a Special Assistant Attorney General under three Rhode Island attorneys general — Peter Neronha, Peter Kilmartin, and Patrick Lynch. She was the Attorney General’s representative on the Rhode Island Commission on Prejudice and Bias, working closely with the office’s Civil Division. She also served as Deputy Counsel to Governor Gina Raimondo and Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Dan McKee, McKee appointed Ahern as the first chairperson of the Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission. Campaign finance cash on hand as of March 31, $429,791.
Keith Hoffmann, 38, Democrat … After law school he served as an Equal Justice Works Fellow sponsored by the law firm Latham & Watkins and worked a the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office, leading teams of lawyers as a unit chief and then serving on Attorney General Neronha’s executive leadership team, where he helped to build the state’s Public Protection Bureau, He also served as counsel to the Rhode Island Police Officers Commission on Standards and Training. Campaign finance cash on hand as of March 31, $546,568.
State Rep. Jason Knight, 56, D-Dist. 67 (Barrington, Warren), Deputy Majority Leader and first vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee. He was first elected to the House in 2016 and was named Deputy Majority Leader in 2021. He also serves on the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee and the House State Government and Elections Committee. Knight served eight years in the United States Navy as an enlisted nuclear power operator. He was also a special assistant attorney general from 2006 to 2010. Knight is now a self-employed lawyer. Campaign finance cash on hand as of March 31, $294,979.
Rep. Joseph J. Solomon Jr., 42, D-Dist 22 (Warwick) … Chairs the House Corporations Committee and serves on the House Oversight and House Veterans’ Affairs committees.Solomon was first elected to the House n November 2014 as the State Representative from District 22, Warwick. Representative Solomon is the chair of the House Corporations Committee and is a member of the House Oversight Committee and the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Solomon received the Golden Paw Award from Animal Rescue Rhode Island for his advocacy for animals, and was presented with the Humane Heroes Award by Defenders of Animals. He was also recognized by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine for his efforts in sponsoring legislation to ban the ongoing, lethal animal use in medical training. Campaign finance cash on hand as of March 31, $511,599.
Alan L. Gordon, the Republican candidate for Attorney General, who had run previously for Attorney General as the Compassionate Party candidate. Neither his campaign web site nor his Meta (Facebook) page contains much biographical information. He did say on his Meta page that he was very familiar with the office ”having been arrested multiple times for his religious use of cannabis prior to its recreational legalization by the state in 2022.” Campaign finance cash on hand as of March 31, $25.
