PROVIDENCE – A former member of then Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s Homeland Security Advisory Board and current deputy assistant secretary for travel and tourism with the U.S. Department of Commerce is now pushing for a new office in Washington, D.C. – the U.S. House.
Sarah Morgenthau announced Thursday in a video that she is running as a Democrat for the soon-to-be-vacant 2nd District seat in the U.S. House, currently occupied by Rep. James R. Langevin, D-R.I. Morgenthau now joins a packed field of candidates that includes fellow Democrats R.I. Treasurer Seth Magaziner, Clarendon Group CEO and past Raimondo communications director Joy E. Fox, Refugee Dream Center Founder Omar Bah, Rhode Island College Interim Director of External Relations and Communications Edwin R. Pacheco and Michael Neary, a former advocate for Ohio Gov. and 2016 presidential candidate John Kasich.
Everyone needs science. Science needs everyone.
The Amgen Foundation is guided by the belief that all students should have the opportunity…
Learn More
On the Republican side, former Cranston mayor Allan W. Fung and past 2nd District candidate Robert Lancia, are also seeking Langevin’s seat.
According to her bio with the International Trade Administration – which she joined in September 2021 to be deputy assistant secretary for tourism – Morgenthau was previously director of Peace Corps Response, where she ran various development projects and initiatives in more than 50 countries. Morgenthau said in the video the response help set up initiatives to strengthen health care, education, agriculture and fighting climate change all over the world.
Locally, when she was on Raimondo’s Homeland Security Advisory Board, Morgenthau advised on terrorism and cyberthreats, she said. Subsequently, Morgenthau was tapped by President Joe Biden to help with travel and tourism, which she says is “critical to our district.”
In her push for Congress, Morgenthau said the state needs to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic “stronger than ever, bring good jobs back, fight climate change, expand tourism and lower costs for families.”
“Together, I truly believe we can make great things happen for Rhode Island,” Morgenthau said.
Morgenthau is also hoping to win the seat that her late mother, Ruth S. Morgenthau, sought in 1988. The elder Morgenthau, a former adviser to President Jimmy Carter who died in 2006, lost that election to then incumbent Republican Claudine Schneider.
“My mother taught us about service and standing up for what’s right,” Morgenthau said.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
