Rhode Island's 1st congressional district explained

State:	Rhode Island
District Number:	1
Image Caption:	Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative:	Gabe Amo
Party:	Democratic
Residence:	Providence
Percent Urban:	96.97
Percent Rural:	3.03
Population:	555,745
Population Year:	2024
Median Income:	$77,683^[1]
Percent White:	63.9
Percent Hispanic:	18.6
Percent Black:	6.3
Percent Asian:	3.7
Percent More Than One Race:	5.7
Percent Other Race:	1.9
Cpvi:	D+12^[2]

Rhode Island's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It includes all of Bristol and Newport counties, along with parts of Providence County, including most of the city of Providence. At 555,745 residents, the district has the lowest population among all U.S. congressional districts.

The district was made vacant in 2023 by the resignation of Democrat David Cicilline, who served from 2011 to 2023.^[3] He was succeeded by Democrat Gabe Amo, a former Biden White House aide and the first Black person to represent Rhode Island as a member of Congress.^[4]

Composition

Bristol County (3)

All 3 municipalities

Newport County (6)

All 6 municipalities

Providence County (10)

Central Falls, Cumberland, East Providence, Lincoln, North Providence, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Providence (part; also 2nd), Smithfield, Woonsocket

Voter registration

Voter registration and party enrollment as of November 1, 2012^[5]
Party		Active voters	Inactive voters	Total voters	Percentage
	Democratic	156,784	11,392	168,176	40.39%
	Republican	71,932	3,348	75,280	18.08%
	Unaffiliated	161,327	11,299	172,626	41.46%
	Minor parties	301	29	330	0.07%
Total		390,334	26,068	416,412	100%

Recent election results from statewide races

Year	Office	Results^[6]
2008	President	Obama 66% - 32%
2012	President	Obama 67% - 33%
2014	Governor	Raimondo 45% - 31%
2016	President	Clinton 59% - 34%
2018	Senate	Whitehouse 66% - 34%
	Governor	Raimondo 59% - 31%
	Lt. Governor	McKee 66% - 25%
	Secretary of State	Gorbea 71% - 28%
	General Treasurer	Magaziner 69% - 31%
2020	President	Biden 63% - 35%
2020	Senate	Reed 70% - 29%
2022	Governor	McKee 62% - 35%
	Lt. Governor	Matos 56% - 38%
	Attorney General	Neronha 66% - 34%
	Secretary of State	Amore 64% - 36%
	General Treasurer	Diossa 59% - 41%
2024	President	Harris 60% - 38%
2024	Senate	Whitehouse 64% - 36%

List of members representing the district

Representative	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history		--> District location
District established March 4, 1843
align=left rowspan=2	Henry Y. Cranston		Law and Order	nowrap	March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845		Elected in 1843. Re-elected in 1845. Retired.	1843–1863
	Whig	nowrap	March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1847				Elected in 1843. Re-elected in 1845. Retired.
align=left	Robert B. Cranston		Whig	nowrap	March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849		Elected in 1847. Retired.
align=left	George Gordon King		Whig	nowrap	March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1853		Elected in 1849. Re-elected in 1851. Lost re-election.
align=left	Thomas Davis		Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855		Elected in 1853. Lost re-election.
align=left rowspan=2	Nathan B. Durfee		American	nowrap	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857		Elected in 1855. Re-elected in 1857. Retired.
	Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1859				Elected in 1855. Re-elected in 1857. Retired.
align=left	Christopher Robinson		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861		Elected in 1859. Lost re-election.
align=left	William Paine Sheffield		Constitutional Union^[7]	nowrap	March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863		Elected in 1861. Retired.
align=left	Thomas Jenckes		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1871		Elected in 1863. Re-elected in 1865. Re-elected in 1867. Re-elected in 1868. Lost re-election.	1863–1875
Benjamin T. Eames	Republican	March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1879		Elected in 1870. Re-elected in 1872. Re-elected in 1874. Re-elected in 1876. Retired.				1863–1875
1875–1883
	align=left	Nelson W. Aldrich		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1879 – October 4, 1881		Elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Resigned when elected U.S. senator.
	Vacant		nowrap	October 4, 1881 – December 5, 1881
	Henry J. Spooner	Republican	December 5, 1881 – March 3, 1891		Elected to finish Aldrich's term. Re-elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. Lost re-election.
1883–1913
	align=left	Oscar Lapham		Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1895		Elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. Lost re-election.
	align=left	Melville Bull		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1903		Elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Lost re-election.
	align=left	Daniel L.D. Granger		Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1903 – February 14, 1909		Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Lost re-election and died.
	Vacant		nowrap	February 14, 1909 – March 3, 1909
	align=left	William Paine Sheffield		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1911		Elected in 1908. Lost re-election.
	George F. O'Shaunessy	Democratic	March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1919		Elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Lost re-election.
1913–1931
1913–1931	Clark Burdick	Republican	March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1933		Elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Lost re-election.
1931–1933
align=left	Francis Condon		Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1933 – January 10, 1935		Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Resigned to join the Rhode Island Supreme Court.	1933–1965
Vacant		nowrap	January 10, 1935 – August 6, 1935
align=left	Charles Risk		Republican	nowrap	August 6, 1935 – January 3, 1937		Elected to finish Condon's term. Lost re-election.
align=left	Aime Forand		Democratic	nowrap	January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1939		Elected in 1936. Lost re-election.
align=left	Charles Risk		Republican	nowrap	January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1941		Elected in 1938. Lost re-election.
align=left	Aime Forand		Democratic	nowrap	January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1961		Elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Retired.
Fernand St. Germain	Democratic	January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1989		Elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Lost re-election.
1965–1973
1973–1983
1983–1993 Bristol and Newport; part of Providence
1983–1993 Bristol and Newport; part of Providence	Ronald Machtley	Republican	January 3, 1989 – January 3, 1995		Elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Retired to run for Governor of Rhode Island.
1993–2003 Bristol and Newport; part of Providence
1993–2003 Bristol and Newport; part of Providence	Patrick J. Kennedy	Democratic	January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2011		Elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Retired.
2003–2013 Bristol and Newport; part of Providence
2003–2013 Bristol and Newport; part of Providence	David Cicilline	Democratic	January 3, 2011 – May 31, 2023		Elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Resigned.^[8]
2013–2023 Bristol and Newport; part of Providence
2023–present Bristol and Newport; part of Providence
	Vacant		nowrap	May 31, 2023 – November 13, 2023
	align=left	Gabe Amo		Democratic	nowrap	November 13, 2023 – present		Elected to finish Cicilline's term. Re-elected in 2024.

Election history

2024

Historical district boundaries

References

Book: Martis, Kenneth C.. The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. 1989. Macmillan Publishing Company. New York.
Book: Martis, Kenneth C.. The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. 1982. Macmillan Publishing Company. New York.
Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

41.6306°N -71.3286°W

Notes and References

Web site: My Congressional District.
Web site: 2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress). 2025-04-05. Cook Political Report. April 3, 2025 . en.
Web site: Scola . Nancy . May 31, 2023 . 'Every Step of the Way, They Underestimated Us' . Politico.
Web site: 2023-11-07 . Democrat Gabe Amo becomes Rhode Island's first Black candidate elected to Congress . 2024-01-04 . AP News . en.
Web site: Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of November 1, 2012 . Rhode Island Board of Election . 2012-11-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060923151511/http://www.elections.state.ri.us/publications/Election_Publications/Voter_Registration/11-01-12_RI_VR_STATS.pdf . 2006-09-23.
Web site: Dra 2020 .
Book: McLoughlin . William G. . Rhode Island: A History . 1986 . W. W. Norton & Company . New York . 145–46 . 978-0-393-30271-4 .
Web site: Shapero . Julia . 2023-02-21 . Democratic Rep. Cicilline to leave Congress in June . 2023-02-21 . The Hill . en-US.