Hispanic Caucus PAC jumping into race to replace Cicilline in Rhode Island

Bold PAC, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’s campaign arm, is endorsing Rhode Island Lieutenant Gov. Sabina Matos in the special election to replace retiring Democratic Rep. David Cicilline in the House. 

“Sabina is a proven leader and has made her mark in history as Lieutenant Governor and the first Afro-Latina to hold statewide office in Rhode Island,” said BOLD PAC Chairwoman Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.). 

Matos, who immigrated from the Dominican Republic to the U.S. at age 20, “understands the struggles that working families in her district are facing and she’ll fight to create an inclusive economy that uplifts and protects Rhode Island’s working families and leaves no one behind,” Sánchez added.

Bold PAC is backing Matos to represent the state’s 1st Congressional District, which Cicilline has represented since 2011. He is set to officially step down in June to take over as the president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation. 

Matos, who announced her campaign last month, said in the Bold PAC release that Washington is “facing a critical moment” of threats to reproductive freedom and federal entitlement programs like Social Security.

“Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have been on the frontline of these fights and know what it takes to stand up for our values. I’m grateful that they are confident in my leadership and are supporting my campaign for Congress,” she said. 

Cicilline’s staff will continue to operate the 1st District’s offices in Rhode Island and D.C. until a new representative is chosen in a special election. He’d just won reelection to his seventh congressional term during the midterms, beating out his Republican challenger with around 64 percent of the vote.