Tuesday, November 2 seems as if it will be a bleak election day for progressives. Democrats look likely to lose a substantial number of seats in Congress. In fact, Republicans could take control of both the House and the Senate.
Still, by making the best choice in the September 14 primary, Rhode Island Democrats can create at least one source of optimism to look to in November. They can nominate the solidly, energetically progressive David Segal to fill the seat of retiring Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-RI.
Segal is running in a competitive primary, and the Democratic winner will almost certainly win in November since the district is reliably liberal. Patrick Kennedy has easily held the seat since 1995.
Choosing whom to support in a primary can be difficult because the competitors usually don't have sweeping ideological differences. Instead, voters must judge candidate qualities like their qualifications, their potential for effectiveness and their political priorities. In these categories, Segal stands out.
Since Segal is only 30 years old, one might assume he can't be as experienced as his older rivals. One opponent, Bill Lynch, ran an ad mocking Segal for supposedly offering "change with no experience." That's an inaccurate criticism, since Segal served on Providence's city council for four years and has been a state legislator since 2007. Segal first won office when he was just 22, demonstrating his impressive political drive.
Besides, Segal's youth can benefit Rhode Island. He could keep his safely Democratic seat for many years, accumulate seniority and clout in the House, and become a powerful force for the state's interests by chairing a committee or serving in the party's leadership.
Segal's record as an officeholder demonstrates his effectiveness. In his first year as a state representative, the head of National Education Association Rhode Island heralded Segal's legislative skill: "At a relatively young age, he has figured out how to work with the system … to actually get legislation passed. It seems it came to him so easily that you forget how hard it is to actually accomplish."
Segal will be prepared to deal with national issues. For the past year, he's blogged for the Huffington Post on topics including Federal Reserve regulations, the need for more stimulus spending, education reform and the World Trade Organization. His posts are substantive, thoughtful and bold — and in today's political culture, where public figures live in fear of their offhand comments becoming embarrassing YouTube videos, it's admirable that Segal has enthusiastically offered opinions on controversial issues such as decriminalizing marijuana.
Segal's extensive experience in government and record as a public thinker are compelling reasons to support him, but another important quality is his leadership on government reform. He has repeatedly supported the Rhode Island Fair Elections Act, a bill that would offer public financing to candidates for state office. He's advised the coalition advocating for the bill ever since it was founded. I'm a member of Democracy Matters, the campus component of the coalition, and I've seen Segal come to meetings and engage with students on strategy, demonstrating his passion for the subject.
National campaign finance reform is a key cause of his campaign. He's pledged to help rally support for a federal public financing bill. Although opponent David Cicilline '83, current mayor of Providence, has also made clear his support for the bill, Segal's record of advocacy suggests he'd be more proactive on the issue. In fact, Segal is only candidate for Kennedy's seat who has refused to take corporate donations, demonstrating his commitment to the ideals of reform.
Furthermore, Segal introduced a bill in the spring to amend the U.S. Constitution and reverse the Supreme Court's destructive ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that corporations can spend unlimited sums of money on campaigns. As a member of Congress, he could continue advancing this cause with a higher profile.
Segal's strong stands have impressed national progressive activists, and he has even been endorsed by the House's Progressive Caucus. At the beginning of September, the prominent blogger known as "Digby" wrote of him, "I know it's hard to get excited about politics right now. But it would be foolish for us to fail to support a young, smart progressive with a proven track record."
Democrats are notably less enthusiastic than Republicans are this year. However, bold candidates such as Segal can help inspire progressives nationwide, and he is poised to offer strong, motivational liberal stands to Congress.
Responding to the Tea Party enthusiasm that helped elect Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., Segal wrote on the Huffington Post, "Many Democrats seem to be taking all the wrong lessons … They're in retreat — even more risk-averse than usual, and refusing to take stands on (seemingly) controversial issues. But … Democrats need to show voters that we have some real fight." As a House representative, Segal can offer that fight.
William Tomasko '13 is an undecided concentrator from Washington, D.C.
He can be reached at
william_tomasko (at) brown.edu.
