Ric Thornton aims to reduce the $6.2 million dollars worth of outstanding fines for missing or overdue state campaign finance reports by 25% by the end of the year. The state campaign finance director doesn’t expect to convince former candidates and officeholders to make good on their six-figure debts.

The four Democrats vying to succeed Helen Anthony in Ward 2 – the city’s most affluent ward by property values – have all raised or loaned their campaigns at least $18,000.

Rhode Island’s political waters got unusually choppy in 2023, when the state’s two longtime incumbents chose to depart within the span of 10 months. Now, their replacements — Democratic Reps. Gabe Amo and Seth Magaziner — are largely settled into their new roles.