Former Biden and Obama White House staffer wins Rhode Island primary
Rhode Island Democratic Rep. David Cicilline announced earlier this year that he would resign after spending over a decade on Capitol Hill.
The close Biden White House ally's departure kicked off a primary election that drew to a close this week.
Former Biden and Obama White House staffer wins race
According to the Washington Examiner, Gabriel Amo was declared to be the winner of a crowded Democratic primary race in Rhode Island's lone congressional district.
While Amo will square off in November against Republican Gerry Leonard in November, he is heavily favored to win given the state's deep blue political character.
Before running for office in Rhode Island, Amo served as deputy director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs under President Joe Biden.
Prior to that, he worked as a liaison to governors and state elected officials in former President Barack Obama's White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
Amo received endorsements from former Biden White House chief of staff Ron Klain along with the Congressional Black Caucus and longtime former Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy.
Former congressman will head nonprofit group
The Examiner noted that for his part, Cicilline announced in June that he was resigning his congressional seat to begin leaning the nonprofit Rhode Island Foundation.
"For more than a decade, the people of Rhode Island entrusted me with a sacred duty to represent them in Congress, and it is a responsibility I put my heart and soul into every day to make life better for the residents and families of our state," Cicilline was quoted as saying in a statement.
Appreciate the time to reflect on my first few months @RIFoundation with @FitzProv @globe_ri. Looking forward to what’s to come!https://t.co/k2Ze7fGuLn
— David Cicilline (@davidcicilline) September 6, 2023
"The chance to lead the Rhode Island Foundation was unexpected, but it is an extraordinary opportunity to have an even more direct and meaningful impact on the lives of residents of our state," the former lawmaker went on to add.
Cicilline challenged on mass shootings
During his time in Congress, Cicilline was a staunch opponent of gun rights, with Fox News reporting last year on how he suggested there has not been "a single incident" in which a mass shooting was stopped by an armed citizen.
Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie quickly responded by reading out a list of such incidents, including one which occurred just weeks prior.
In that case, a West Virginia woman with a legally carried handgun shot a man after he opened fire on a graduation party.
