Effective and Responsive Leadership
Endorsed Candidates 2026
State Senator - District 34
Town Councilor Samantha Wilcox
Sam Wilcox, Richmond Town Council President, now serving her second consecutive term. Sam has been a strong advocate for our human services department, the municipal court, road repairs, and improvements to the Senior and 100% Disabled Tax Exemption. She’s also deeply committed to keeping Richmond rural and organizes or attends litter clean upstairs frequently.
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In her early twenties, she moved to Exeter, drawn by the natural beauty of Arcadia, while raising two children as a single mother and pursuing a degree in paralegal studies. After years of balancing work, school, and family, she got married, and purchased a home in Richmond eight years ago, choosing the area for its outdoor recreation and strong schools. She has since continued to build her career and now works as a Litigation Paralegal.
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Sam is a hard worker and 2026 will be a busy year for her! In addition to serving as Town Council President, she’s chairing Richmond’s 250th Commission, celebrating her 10-year wedding anniversary, cheering on her oldest child as he graduates from Chariho Tech’s electrician program, and running for State Senate!
When she’s not working, she likes to relax by spending time with her family or spending time outdoors; planting RI native flowers, hiking with her dog Chase, geocaching (500+ finds!), or at the pottery wheel.
State Representative - District 39
State Representative Megan Cotter
RI Representative Megan Cotter represents District 39, which includes all of Richmond, Exeter, and parts of Hopkinton. During her time in office, she’s been a champion for forest preservation, conservation, and green spaces. She’s worked hard to push for legislation to increase support for health care and affordability, both issues that are of growing concern in Richmond. As we’ve discussed before, some of her more recent work has been focused on improving internet safety for kids. She’s also been a huge defender of the needs of the Chariho district at the state level – fighting for student funding and transportation funding across the over 120 square miles that Chariho spans.
She’s also married to a wonderfully supportive husband and has three awesome kids. Two of the kids attend Exeter-West Greenwich, and one attends University of Rhode Island! When she’s not fighting for us in the State House, she works on the business side of fishing and seafood. And whenever she can find a free moment, she loves to carve out a chance to see the mountains!
Richmond Town Council
Town Councilor Dan Madnick
Dan Madnick is serving as a Richmond Town Councilor and is running for the same position this year. Dan has many goals for the remainder of his term, but the top priority is driving improvements to town operations and staffing. This will balance resident services and budgetary constraints. He also works hard engaging various entities to facilitate development opportunities. Dan believes this will improve infrastructure for businesses. To make government more efficient, he continues to advocate for overhauling town ordinances. Dan believes simplification and clarity will improve the life of citizens and grow businesses. His focus areas for this are entertainment, business licensing, door-to-door sales policies, and use of town property. While serving in his post as councilor, Dan continues to be a loving husband and father of two. His oldest son attends Richmond elementary school and his youngest will be joining the school next year. Dan’s family is active in Richmond’s Cub Scout Pack 1. He (as an Eagle Scout) and his wife are engaged in the organization’s leadership. Professionally, Dan leads a structural engineering team at General Dynamics Electric Boat, working on next-generation submarine platforms and solving complex engineering challenges. At home, he enjoys the outdoors and working on projects with his kids while supporting his wife’s professional career. Dan’s commitment to his work, family and community demonstrate why he is an asset to our town government as a thoughtful and engaging leader.
Town Councilor Jim Palmisciano
Jim Palmisicano, who is serving as Richmond Town Councilor and is running again for the same position. Jim has been a huge advocate for economic growth in Richmond, and had started the Richmond Investment in Commercial Health (RICH) Task Force to work across town committees and the business community.
But Jim is also a husband and a father. His son is a Chariho student, and his daughter is a recent Chariho graduate. Jim’s day job is working with international clients, if it can be called a day job – the time zones he has to work across mean he’s talking with folks at all hours. And, Jim speaks German, French, Spanish, and Italian with varying degrees of fluency! As a member of the Rhode Island Dahlia Society he is an avid dahlia grower, a 30+ year student of the martial arts, and makes an incredible French macaron!
Town Councilor Mark Reynolds
Mark Reynolds is serving as Richmond Town Council Vice President, and is running for re-election. He’s helped to push for strong town infrastructure, and had used his critical eye during budget reviews to make sure that the town budget was developed responsibility, digging deeply into most of the budget line items. He’s also served the town before as chair of the Tax Assessment Board of Review and Richmond Town Moderator, and he brings both perspectives with him to his Town Council work.
Mark also has a wife and three kids. His wife teaches and also serves as a school committee member (we’ll have more on her later in a future spotlight!). He works as a lawyer in Providence, which helps with a set of experiences that occasionally comes in handy with his Town work! Two of his kids are Chariho graduates, and the third is a student at the Chariho Middle School and a member of Boy Scout Troop 1. Mark is an avid scout leader with the troop, and involved in a host of other activities across the town.
Douglas Deslauriers
Douglas Deslauriers is seeking election to the Richmond Town Council to maintain the positive momentum we've seen from the current council. He currently serves on the Tax Assessment Board of Review and is looking to continue serving the town as a council member. Making housing affordable in Richmond is a priority for Doug, and he plans to work alongside the Affordable Housing Committee and Planning Board to effectively utilize the Affordable Housing Fund. His vision for Richmond includes promoting economic growth by working with businesses and the Economic Development Commission to revitalize Main Street and Chariho Plaza.
Maintaining Richmond's rural character is important to Doug -- he and his fiancée Kim enjoy hiking and camping. He also likes to spend his free time racing with a sailing team on Greenwich Bay, skiing, and playing soccer. As a Richmond homeowner, Doug is an avid DIYer who enjoys plumbing, electrical work, carpentry, sewing, and working on cars. He is a software developer, creating analysis tools for safety critical industries, such as automotive, rail, air, and medical.
Chariho School Committee
Patrick Farrell
Pat Farrell, who’s running for the Chariho School Committee. Pat is a strong proponent for education. He has seen the impact that education has on students, families, and the community, and wants to see Chariho continue to be a district that Richmond can be proud of.
