Home Economy Whitehouse seeks a fourth term in the U.S. Senate, Dems favored in...

Whitehouse seeks a fourth term in the U.S. Senate, Dems favored in House

By

Michael Casey

-

11/05/2024

Election 2024 Rhode Island Early Voting — Poll moderator Kimberly Allen, of Providence, R.I., center left, prepares ballots for voters during early voting in the general election, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at City Hall in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island is looking to win a fourth term in the U.S. Senate while Democrats are heavily favored to win both the state’s U.S. House seats on Tuesday. Whitehouse faces Patricia Morgan, a Republican state representative who was the first woman to serve as minority leader in the R.I. House.

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Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island is looking to win a fourth term in the U.S. Senate while Democrats are heavily favored to win both the state’s U.S. House seats on Tuesday. Whitehouse faces Patricia Morgan, a Republican state representative who was the first woman to serve as minority leader in the R.I. House. Whitehouse had a huge financial advantage, outraising Morgan almost 25-1. Whitehouse has long championed efforts to combat climate change and campaigned on a promise to protect Medicare and Social Security benefits. More recently, he has worked to reform the U.S. Supreme Court. He served as Rhode Island's U.S. Attorney and state attorney general before being elected to the Senate in 2006. Whitehouse said he and fellow representatives from Rhode Island helped bring in about $200 million in federal funds for replacing the Washington Bridge. "I think [that] shows a Congressional delegation that is doing its job," he said during a debate with Morgan. Morgan campaigned to close the U.S. border and finish building a wall on the southern border with Mexico. She supports the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. In the debate, she said she opposed a plan pushed by the senator that would help stabilize Social Security funding by increasing taxes on people making more than $400,000 a year. She said the plan would hurt the economy and officials should instead direct money away from other things like climate subsidies. "I will do everything I can to strengthen Social Security. I think the way is to prioritize it," she said. "We can't keep spending money on stupid stuff." Whitehouse said his tax plan targeting wealthier earners would protect the two programs. "Our tax code right now is not fair," he said. "It is not fair when billionaires pay lower tax rates than schoolteachers." During his three terms in office, Whitehouse wrote the bipartisan legislation providing funding for communities, health workers and law enforcement fighting the deadly opioid overdose crisis and long championed the Affordable Care Act. In the House, Rep. Gabe Amo, the first Black representative in Congress from Rhode Island, is poised to be reelected in the 1st Congressional District. Amo faces Republican challenger Allen Waters and has promised to work on issues ranging from ending gun violence to supporting reproductive freedom and fighting to protect Social Security and Medicare. Waters campaigned on his support for gun rights, ending government-backed student loans for college and a promise to “clean up the swamp of poorly managed government departments” like the Department of Veterans Affairs. Last year, Amo beat out a crowded field in a special election to replace Democratic Rep. David Cicilline, who stepped down to lead a nonprofit foundation. Amo has worked as a senior adviser to President Joe Biden. He previously worked in state government and in the White House during the Obama administration. Amo went to Wheaton College and studied public policy at Oxford University. The son of Ghanaian and Liberian immigrants, he says he was inspired by his parents’ drive. His mother studied nursing and his father opened a liquor store in part so he could be his own boss. In the 2nd Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Seth Magaziner, the former state treasurer in Rhode Island, was also expected to be reelected. He faces Republican Steve Corvi, who was making his first run for political office and has been vastly outspent. In 2022, Magaziner won the seat vacated by longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin, who was retiring after two decades representing the district. Since taking office, Magaziner, the son of former Clinton administration policy adviser Ira Magaziner, has worked to protect Social Security and Medicare, reduce the price of prescription drugs and expand the Affordable Care Act. He also has campaigned for gun safety legislation and abortion rights. Corvi, meanwhile, highlighted the fact he was an “average American” who has no prior political experience and no connections. An adjunct university professor who specializes in British and American military history, Corvi campaigned for what he called a merit-based immigration system, support for Israel and policies that grow the economy. Michael Casey is a writer for The Associated Press.