R.I. Senate 4 special primary saw 11% turnout, half of ballots cast early or by mail

Despite a heat advisory and threats of flash flooding on the day of the July 8 primary, more than 11% of Rhode Island’s Senate District 4 voters cast ballots in the four-way Democratic contest to fill the open state legislative seat, according to final results certified by the state Board of Elections Tuesday.

The elections panel’s unanimous vote confirms the preliminary outcome of the special Democratic primary, which saw North Providence Town Councilor Stefano Famiglietti triumph over his three opponents with a decisive 68% percent of the vote — more than 52 percentage points ahead of second-place finisher, Marcia Ranglin-Vassell.

Considered the frontrunner in the primary, Famiglietti served on the North Providence Town Council since 2018, receiving endorsements from the Senate District 4 Democratic Committee, the Rhode Island AFL-CIO and Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone. He will now face the sole Republican candidate, Alexander Asermely, in an Aug. 5 general election.

Asermely, 39, a lawyer, is a first-time candidate for elected office and is backed by the Rhode Island Republican Party.



https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/07/14/r-i-senate-4-special-primary-saw-11-turnout-half-of-ballots-cast-early-or-by-mail/