Candidates for political offices, from U.S. Senate to School Committee, filed their nomination papers yesterday (Friday), significantly reducing the number of people running for top offices, but also setting up primary elections for some top offices, including U.S. Senate and Governor.
Nomination papers collect the required number of signatures for each position. Earlier candidates had filed their declarations to run for office, but many failed to achieve the required signatures to do so.
While candidates have filed nomination papers, they will not be certified to run until elections’ officials certify the signatures. The next significant deadline for candidates is Monday (July 13), which is the deadline for individuals to withdraw their candidacies. Ballot placement takes place later in the week (July 17) and is done by lottery.
Over the next couple of days, we will look at races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, state general offices, and local contests. We will start with the U.S. Senate.
U.S. Senator Jack Reed, 76, a Democrat, has served in the U.S. Senate since 1996, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives for six years (three terms). He previously served in the state legislature. Reed, a West Point graduate, is a lawyer. He collected 1,457 signatures, according to the Secretary of State’s office. The Federal Elections Commission (FEC) reported that Reed had $3,429,481 on hand as of March 3.
Besides Reed, two other Democrats, a Republican and an Independent have filed for the seat. As of Friday, two Democrats (including Reed), the Republican and Independent, appear to have accumulated the 1,000 signatures required to run.
Only Connor Francis Burbridge, 31, an Army veteran, small business owner, labeled as a progressive, apparently failed to accumulate the required signatures, with 733 reported (of the 1,000 needed), according to the Secretary of State’s website, which tracks candidates and their various filings. According to the FEC, Burbridge had $866 cash in hand as of March 3.
Dr. Luis Daniel Munoz and Reed were Democrats who accumulated the necessary signatures, according to the Secretary of State’s website. Also, Republican Raymond T. McKay and Independent Michael Anthony Bahry collected the required signatures.
Munoz, who describes himself on his Facebook page as a “doctor, rebellious Democrat, community organizer. Fighting for better tomorrows.” He Ran in the Democratic gubernatorial primary election in 2022, finishing with 3.1 percent of the vote. He is a 2008 Rhode Island College graduate, who earned his M.D. from the University of Connecticut in 2014. As of March 3, Munoz had reported zero cash on hand, according to the FEC.
Raymond T. McKay, the Republican, collected 1,674 signatures. McKay, 65, is an Army veteran, who was the network and telecommunications manager and administrator for the City of Warwick for 26 years. He first ran for office in 1998 for Rhode Island State Senate, and served as president of the Rhode Island Republican Assembly (RIRA) from 2005 to 2014, As of March 3, McKay had reported $12,419 cash on hand, according to the FEC.
Independent Michael Anthony Bahry collected 1,257 signatures. Bahry, 58, says on his website that he has been a laborer, carpenter, construction executive, and business owner. On his website he says he founded the nonprofit “Fifty-Three: Five in 2014, providing food, fellowship, and support to families and the homeless in Providence…at age 53… (he) returned to college to study the life and teachings of Jesus,” earning two master’s degrees from Providence College in Theological Studies and Biblical Studies. As of March 3, Bahry had reported zero cash on hand, according to the FEC.
