Build the Bench RI, a group in its first year that supports progressive women and gender-expansive candidates for local office, has endorsed five Newport candidates in the Nov. 3 election.
The group endorsed Emily Conklin in the Ward 2 City Council race and Taryn Mazza for an at-large council seat, along with Elizabeth Barron, Penelope Hunt and Kendra Wilson Muenter for the at-large School Committee seats.
It is the group’s second round of endorsements. The first, in September, covered 10 candidates in northern Rhode Island, all of whom won their primaries, according to the group.
Build the Bench RI said it focused on Newport this year because of what it called an unusually high number of seats being vacated, but that it had only five endorsement slots available. Candidates were chosen after interviews based on their stated values and their need for campaign support, according to the group, which said there are other strong candidates in the races it did not endorse.
In describing its picks, the group said Conklin has attended more than 100 City Council meetings since 2021 to post live notes publicly and would focus on government transparency; that Mazza, born and raised in Newport, works for the local Health Equity Zone and wants residents’ needs balanced against the tourism industry’s; that Barron, a school psychologist, attributes struggling schools to leadership rather than students or families; that Hunt wants to help hire a new superintendent and better serve multilingual learners; and that Wilson Muenter is seeking the chair’s seat to revise policies, set goals for the superintendent and press the council for school funding.
Build the Bench RI describes itself as a club of individuals rather than a political action committee, supporting candidates through endorsements, advice and donations. Its membership includes former elected officials Sandra Cano, Vimala Phongsavanh and Stephanie Gonzalez, activist kimika Ross, organizer Ditra Edwards and Anne Holland, according to the group.
The group said it plans to expand statewide in future years.
