Six candidates are running for Rhode Island’s two U.S. House districts—tying with 2018 and 2014 for the second-fewest in the last ten years

This year’s filing deadline for candidates running for Congress in Rhode Island was June 26, 2024.

Six candidates are running for Rhode Island’s two U.S. House districts, including three Democrats and three Republicans. That’s an average of 3.0 candidates per district. There was an average of 4.0 candidates per district in 2022, 2.5 candidates per district in 2020, and 3.0 in 2018.

Here are some other highlights from this year’s filings:

• The number of candidates running for the U.S. House in Rhode Island this year is tied with 2018 and 2014 for the second-fewest in the last 10 years.

• Both incumbents—Reps. Gabe Amo (D-01) and Seth Magaziner (D-02)—are running for re-election this year. One district was open in 2022, the only election cycle in the last 10 years in which a district was open.
• Four candidates—two Democrats and two Republicans—are running for the 1st Congressional District, the most candidates running for a district this year.
• Two primaries—one Democratic and one Republican—are contested this year. Between 2014 and 2022, an average of 1.8 primaries were contested per election cycle.
• Amo is the only incumbent running in a contested primary this year.
• Candidates filed to run in the Republican and Democratic primaries in both districts, meaning neither seat is guaranteed to either party.

Rhode Island and two other states—Delaware and New Hampshire—are holding primary elections on September 10.

In Rhode Island, the winner of the primary election is the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes cast even if they do not win an outright majority.