SENATOR IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State Senate District 5; Rhode Island
My vote power
High
Election date
September 9, 2026 · Primary election
How do we calculate my vote power?
What goes into the rating: Representation: how much weight one vote carries here compared with a statewide vote — the smaller the district, the more each vote counts. Decisiveness: how likely this race is to be close, based on past results or current analyst ratings, plus the number of candidates.
Representation: High · 66 out of 100
This district is a small slice of its state, so each vote here carries much more weight than a vote in a statewide race. About 33,292 people live here.
Show the representation math
score = 50 + 50 × ln(state population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50 + 50 × ln(1,101,801 ÷ 33,292) ÷ ln(50,000) = 66.17, measured against a statewide vote in RI (grades: 66+ high, 33+ normal, otherwise low; a statewide race is the 50 baseline)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No analyst ratings or past results for this contest yet.
High representation → My vote power: High.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
About this office
- Voting on how much you pay in state taxes
- Voting on how much money your local public schools get
- Voting on which roads and highways get built or repaired
Affects: AI Regulation, Healthcare Affordability, Environment and Public Health,
Candidates
Democratic · declared
Providence Fire Department acting captain and emergency medical services officer, and a Rhode Island College graduate in psychology and political science. Campaign priorities are universal health care, sustainability, equity, and personal autonomy.
Democratic · Incumbent · declared
Samuel W. Bell is the Democratic incumbent candidate for Rhode Island State Senate District 5. The official General Assembly biography says he has represented District 5 since 2018.
Democratic · declared
Theodore Newcomer Jr. is a Democratic candidate for Rhode Island State Senate District 5 in the September 9, 2026 primary. The official Rhode Island filing workbook lists him as a valid Democratic candidate.
Republican · declared
William D. Connell Jr. is a Republican candidate for Rhode Island State Senate District 5 in the September 9, 2026 primary. The official Rhode Island filing workbook lists him as a valid Republican candidate.
Source: vote.sos.ri.gov