Richmond RI Democratic Town Committee Announces their Endorsed Candidates for the 2024 Election
The Richmond Democratic Town Committee is excited to announce their endorsement of candidates for the 2024 election. After the struggles and scandals last year at the local level, it’s critically important to elect and re-elect trusted candidates who will govern responsibly and act on the behalf of all Richmond.
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STATE CANDIDATES
Megan Cotter, House Representative District 39 (incumbent)
Steve Moffitt, Candidate for State Senate District 34
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RICHMOND TOWN COUNCIL CANDIDATES
Samantha Wilcox (incumbent)
Jim Palmisciano
Mark Reynolds
Daniel Madnick
CHARIHO SCHOOL COMMITTEE CANDIDATES
Jessica Purcell (incumbent)
Karen Reynolds (incumbent)
We will continue to endorse and support our current Representative Megan Cotter. During her tenure as State Representative since 2022, Cotter has been a driving force behind bipartisan efforts. She successfully drove to add $13 million in funding for farmland protection, open space funding, and forestry – areas critical to Richmond and conserving our green spaces. She secured funding for a van for Wood River Health, to improve their ability to provide health care in Richmond. In response to the 2023 wildfire, Cotter championed for forest management and firefighting improvements.
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On the State Senate side, we’re excited to introduce Steve Moffitt as the Democratic candidate to challenge the incumbent Republican. He’s a veteran of the Hopkinton Town Council, where he’s demonstrated his ability to represent rural constituents and a desire to move Hopkinton into the future while also maintaining its history. Moffitt is eager to be a proponent for Richmond and Hopkinton in the State Senate where representation for our unique challenges has been ineffective.
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We have two outstanding candidates for the Chariho School Committee. Jessica Purcell is a parent of two Chariho students, active school volunteer, and dedicated advocate for strong public schools that benefit the entire community. While on the School Committee, she asks important questions when considering policy and budget decisions. She acts as a conduit between the School Committee and community, sharing information in a public and concise manner on a regular basis. Once it’s clear that something will benefit Chariho, she’s a tireless champion for those school improvements. Purcell fought against the unlawful appointment that violated the Town Charter and rights of all voters last winter and won. She will keep fighting to make sure that all Chariho students get the best education and opportunity they can.
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Our other Chariho School Committee candidate, Karen Reynolds, is another staunch defender of high-quality education and Chariho parent. During her tenure on School Committee, she sought to find ways to use tax dollars efficiently where they have the greatest impact. She fights to make sure that Chariho taxes are spent responsibly, but also to make sure that Chariho taxes benefit Chariho students and the Chariho community. As a 30-year educator, Reynolds has important experience backing her support for a rigorous curriculum that prepares students to be lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and active community members.
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For Richmond town council, our incumbent Samantha Wilcox has been a stalwart defender of the Richmond public interest over the last two years. Last year, as a Republican majority sought to take advantage of their power for personal gain, Wilcox rallied bipartisan support to resist and roll back their corrupt practices. During her tenure on Town Council, she championed road repairs, educational programs, playground upgrades, a long-term capital improvement strategy, and the establishment of a municipal court in Richmond.
Our next candidate, Jim Palmisciano, serves on the Richmond Recreation committee and 250th Commission, but was also a veteran of Richmond Town Council from 2020-2022 during the COVID pandemic. He worked closely with the town staff and community members to find ways to help citizens during the crisis. He’s a staunch believer that local government must pursue practices and policies that help all citizens, and that extremist rhetoric has no place in local politics. Palmisciano also seeks to identify opportunities for strategic development in Richmond, to improve the town in ways that are aligned with the comprehensive plan and conservation of Richmond’s natural resources.
We also endorse Mark Reynolds for Town Council, who is currently the chair for the Richmond Board of Tax Assessment Review and serves on the Charter Review Commission. From his current role on the tax assessment board, Reynolds has been instrumental in ensuring that Richmond tax policy is applied fairly across the town and is not applied in sweetheart tax deals to a single developer. During the scandals created by the Republican tenure on Town Council last year, Reynolds rallied bipartisan support across the town of Richmond to oppose these violations, and bring a voice to residents in holding elected officials accountable for their abuses of power. He’s eager to help create a town of Richmond that all residents can be proud of, and makes news for the right reasons.
We also endorse Town Council candidate Daniel Madnick, who is currently serving as vice chair on the Richmond Planning Board. This provided him with first-hand exposure to land use in Richmond. From this position, he was a strong champion for the Aquifer Protection Overlay District ordinance, which provided opportunities for development in Richmond in a way that still protected the Richmond water supply and public health. He also works closely with the town planning staff, and is eager to rebuild the working relationships between the town staff and Town Council. Madnick will continue to find ways to promote sustainable growth in Richmond that improve life in the town while keeping the town’s rural character.
The Richmond Democratic Town Committee seeks to endorse leaders for local government who are responsive to Richmond residents. The mission of the RDTC is to promote the election of party candidates on a town, district and state level, keeping in mind a responsibility to the residents of the town of Richmond for their quality of life. We endorse trustworthy community leaders who believe in cooperation to achieve collective goals that will move our town in a positive direction. We advocate sustainable growth that respects our natural resources and infrastructure while meeting the needs of our multigenerational community.