Politics

R.I. Congressman David Cicilline to resign for foundation job

The Democratic representative is leaving Congress for the Rhode Island Foundation.

February 21, 2023

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Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline will resign from his seat on June 1 to lead the Rhode Island Foundation, his office announced Tuesday.

The 61-year-old 1st District Democrat was selected by the foundation’s board of directors to succeed Neil D. Steinberg as president and CEO following a national search, the organization said.

“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 said in a statement. “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 same energy and commitment I brought to elected office, I will now bring as CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, advancing their mission to ensure all Rhode Islanders can achieve economic security, access quality, affordable healthcare, and attain the education and training that will set them on a path to prosperity.”

Cicilline’s departure is slated to trigger a special election to select his successor — the second open Congressional race in the Ocean State since Democrat U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner succeeded outgoing Rep. Jim Langevin in the 2nd Congressional District in November.

By law, Gov. Dan McKee cannot call for a special election until Cicilline formally resigns.

Cicilline’s staff will operate his offices in Rhode Island and Washington, D.C., under the supervision of the Clerk of the House of Representatives until a new representative is elected, per federal law and House rules, according to his office.

Cicilline, a seven-term legislator first elected in 2011, has given the nation’s smallest state some large clout in Congress: He is a member of the House Democratic Leadership and a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Committee on the Judiciary.

He is also the former mayor of Providence and previously served in the Rhode Island General Assembly.

“We are confident in Congressman Cicilline’s abilities, intellect, and accomplishments and are excited to begin working with him as our next president and CEO,” Dr. G. Alan Kurose, chair of the Rhode Island Foundation’s board of directors, said in a statement. “David’s skills and values fit perfectly with those of the Rhode Island Foundation—he is committed to meeting the needs of all Rhode Islanders and has been throughout his public-service career.”

The 1st Congressional District stretches over much of the eastern half of Rhode Island, including affluent communities such as Barrington and Newport and northeastern communities Woonsocket and Pawtucket.