Democratic Candidate for State Rep. in RI is a Registered Republican in Florida

Democratic Candidate for State Rep. in RI is a Registered Republican in Florida

Jeanne-Marie DiMasi, who is running for Rhode Island State Representative -- as a Democrat in District 26 --  is registered as a Republican voter in Palm Coast, Florida where she lived in 2015.

DiMasi, who once served as Town Council President in West Warwick, moved to Florida for “about six months” in 2015, according to an interview with GoLocalProv. She said that when she went to register her car, she registered to vote.

“I did register to vote, but I would never register as a Republican,” said DiMasi in an interview with GoLocal on Thursday afternoon. She tells GoLocal she never voted in Florida, but is still registered there.

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Florida Disputes Claim

Sarah Revell, the Director of Communication for the Department of Administration in Florida, told GoLocal in a phone interview that once a voter has registered to vote they are mailed a card confirming their address and their voting status including party affiliation. 

In a subsequent interview with DiMasi, she told GoLocal, “I probably never opened the envelope." DiMasi went on to say that the issue is “dirty politics at its best."

DiMasi is running against James Jackson and Vincent Manzullo for the Democratic nomination in the seat being vacated by Patricia Morgan.  Morgan, the House Minority Leader, is running for the GOP nomination for Governor.

This article was first published 8/23/18 3:36 PM