PROVIDENCE – A veteran Democratic leader in the R.I. Statehouse is stepping down after nearly three decades in office.
Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey, D-Warwick, announced on Monday that he will not seek reelection.
McCaffrey in a statement cited “spending extracurricular time with those I hold most dear” as the reason for his decision.
The longtime state senator, first elected in 1994, is credited with key roles in landmark legislation including the recently enacted marijuana regulations, as well as promoting diversity in the state judiciary and other court reform measures. He’s also infamous for using the state house men’s bathroom as an office during his freshman years as a senator.
An attorney with a private practice in Warwick, McCaffrey is also the son of former Warwick Mayor Eugene McCaffrey.
His decision not to run for reelection follows similar announcements from top Republicans in both chambers. House Minority Leader Blake Filippi, R-New Shoreham, and Senate Minority Leader Dennis Algiere, R-Westerly, have both said they will not run for another term.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.
