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| Rhode Island State Senate District 17 | ||
| Current incumbent | Thomas Paolino  | |
Rhode Island's seventeenth state senate district is represented by Republican Senator Thomas Paolino.
Rhode Island state senators represent an average of 27,699 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 27,587 residents.
Members of the Rhode Island State Senate serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Rhode Island legislators assume office the first Tuesday in January.
Article III of the Rhode Island Constitution lays out the requirements for officeholders of Rhode Island's state government.
| State legislators | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $15,959/year | No per diem is paid. |
If there is a vacancy in the senate, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat. The Secretary of State must call for an election to be held anywhere from 70 to 90 days after the vacancy occurred. No election can be held if the vacancy happens after the first Monday in February during an election year. The person elected to fill the seat serves for the remainder of the unfilled term.
Elections for the office of Rhode Island State Senate will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for September 8, 2020. The filing deadline is June 24, 2020.
Incumbent Thomas Paolino (R) defeated Dennis Lavallee (D) in the general election for Rhode Island State Senate District 17 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Thomas Paolino (R) |
50.5
|
5,998 |
|
|
Dennis Lavallee (D) |
49.3
|
5,860 | |
| Other/Write-in votes |
0.2
|
19 | ||
|
|
Total votes: 11,877 |
Dennis Lavallee advanced from the Democratic primary for Rhode Island State Senate District 17 on September 12, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Dennis Lavallee (D) |
100
|
2,403 |
|
|
Total votes: 2,403 |
Incumbent Thomas Paolino advanced from the Republican primary for Rhode Island State Senate District 17 on September 12, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Thomas Paolino (R) |
100
|
944 |
|
|
Total votes: 944 |
Elections for the Rhode Island State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on September 13, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 29, 2016. Incumbent Edward O'Neill (Independent) did not run for re-election.
Thomas Paolino defeated Jina Petrarca-Karampetsos in the Rhode Island State Senate District 17 general election.Rhode Island State Senate, District 17 General Election, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Thomas Paolino |
51.00% | 7,224 | |
| Democratic | Jina Petrarca-Karampetsos | 49.00% | 6,942 | |
| Total Votes | 14,166 | |||
| Source: Rhode Island Board of Elections | ||||
Rhode Island State Senate, District 17 Democratic Primary, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jina Petrarca-Karampetsos |
43.80% | 964 | |
| Democratic | Dennis Lavallee | 25.49% | 561 | |
| Democratic | Keven McKenna | 20.04% | 441 | |
| Democratic | Hagop Setrak Jawharjian | 10.68% | 235 | |
| Total Votes | 2,201 | |||
Rhode Island State Senate, District 17 Republican Primary, 2016
| Party | Candidate | |
|---|---|---|
| Republican | Thomas Paolino (unopposed) |
Elections for the Rhode Island State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on September 9, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 25, 2014. Keven McKenna was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while incumbent Edward O'Neill ran as an independent candidate. O'Neill defeated McKenna in the general election.
Rhode Island State Senate, District 17, General Election, 2014
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Edward O'Neill Incumbent |
62.2% | 6,344 | |
| Democratic | Keven McKenna | 37.8% | 3,862 | |
| Total Votes | 10,206 | |||
Elections for the Rhode Island State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 11, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 27, 2012. Incumbent Edward O'Neill (I) defeated John J. Cullen (D) and Derek M. Meiklejohn (I) in the general election. Cullen defeated Louis E. Azar in the Democratic primary.
Rhode Island State Senate, District 17, General Election, 2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Edward O'Neill Incumbent |
57.3% | 7,588 | |
| Democratic | John J. Cullen | 36.1% | 4,776 | |
| Independent | Derek M. Meiklejohn | 6.4% | 842 | |
| Other | Write-in | 0.2% | 26 | |
| Total Votes | 13,232 | |||
Rhode Island State Senate, District 17 Democratic Primary, 2012
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
John Cullen |
50.3% | 1,272 |
| Louis Azar | 49.7% | 1,259 |
| Total Votes | 2,531 | |
From 2002 to 2016, candidates for Rhode Island State Senate District 17 raised a total of $1,140,356. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $49,581 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.
Campaign contributions, Rhode Island State Senate District 17
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $97,262 | 5 | $19,452 | |
| 2014 | $46,258 | 2 | $23,129 | |
| 2012 * | $36,273 | 4 | $9,068 | |
| 2010 | $106,710 | 3 | $35,570 | |
| 2008 | $293,359 | 2 | $146,680 | |
| 2006 | $303,364 | 2 | $151,682 | |
| 2004 | $227,595 | 3 | $75,865 | |
| 2002 | $28,875 | 1 | $28,875 | |
| 2000 | $660 | 1 | $660 | |
| Total | $1,140,356 | 23 | $49,581 | |
| * Campaign finance data for 2012 is incomplete for this district. | ||||
