Political Profile: Savannah DaCruz, Candidate for State Representative in District 2

Political Profile: Savannah DaCruz, Candidate for State Representative in District 2

Savannah DaCruz is running for State Representative in District 2. Here's what she has to say. 

 

1.  What do you think is the biggest political issue this campaign season in Rhode Island?

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Abortion access is one of the biggest political issues of this campaign season. The undemocratic, right-wing supreme court struck down the legal right to an abortion in June. And that opinion was leaked earlier in May, when the Rhode Island State Legislature was still in session. 

Thankfully, Rhode Island recognizes the legal right to an abortion. 

But that right is denied to low income people and state workers. The Equality in Abortion Coverage Act would expand the abortion coverage for state employees and for Medicaid recipients. The legislature should have passed the EACA when they were in session. And leaders in the legislature should heed the call from their fellow legislators and the people of Rhode Island: they should call a special session and pass the EACA now. 

If elected, expanding the protected legal right to abortion will be my top priority. Reproductive rights for some and not all is not reproductive justice. We all must have access to safe abortions, on demand, without apology.

 

2.  What do we need to do to improve Rhode Island's economy?

We need to invest in the people of Rhode Island. For too many people, there isn’t a viable future in Rhode Island. Apart from the imminent threat of climate change, people cannot afford to live in Rhode Island. The cost of living here-- housing, transportation, medication, groceries, and child care-- are rising. And our wages aren’t keeping up.

We need to raise the minimum wage to at least $19 an hour, and invest especially in our public school teachers, bus drivers, and folks working to bring about our clean energy transition. We must build more affordable housing: 10,000 new, green units. And make sure we cap rent increases so that landlords can’t displace working families.

We need to support our small businesses as they continue to recover from the pandemic. Give them financial support to get back on their feet. We need to make sure corporations and the wealthiest among us are paying their fair share of the tax burden, rather than working people and small businesses.

To improve Rhode Island’s economy, we must improve life for working people.

 

3.  What is the greatest challenge facing Rhode Island as a state?

We are already experiencing the effects of climate change in Rhode Island. Our lives and communities are threatened by floods, droughts, and extreme heat. We have to act swiftly and courageously to address this crisis. 

We must shut down corporate polluters in the Port of Providence. They poison our air and water, especially the low-income and Black and Brown communities surrounding the port. And they accelerate the threat of climate change. 

We have to invest in our communities to make them more resilient to the climate crisis. I will fight our concurrent climate and housing crises by working to build 10,000 new units of green, affordable housing. We must reduce emissions connected to transportation by expanding and electrifying RIPTA, and making our buses clean, safe, accessible, and free for all people. 

I am ready to fight to eliminate fossil fuels from and transition our power grid to 100% renewable energy by 2028. We have the opportunity to lower utility bills and create thousands of good-paying, union jobs building offshore wind turbines and installing rooftop solar panels. 

I’m ready to fight like hell for every Rhode Islander’s right to a just, livable future.

 

4.  Why are you running for office? What makes you uniquely qualified?  

I was born in Providence to a second generation immigrant mother. My experiences with eviction and poverty don’t make me a typical candidate for State Rep. 

I’m running for office because every Rhode Islander deserves housing and power. I know what it’s like to go without, so I am ready to fight so that everyone has their basic needs met. 

I work for an immigrant and refugee resettlement agency in RI. I also serve on the board of AS220, a community arts organization where I’ve used my advocacy to implement a $21 minimum wage for all employees. I’ve co-organized a tenant council in coalition to push for housing affordability and greater language accessibility. 

As a local artist, I’ve had my work featured on RI public transit, schools, and public municipalities. It brings me joy to know that students I’ve worked with as a City Year AmeriCorps member may have seen my work and considered a future in the arts.

It's my own and others’ experiences that have led me to run for office. I believe that in order to co-create a Rhode Island that works for all of us we need a governing body that sees and protects us. 

 

5.  Who is your inspiration?  

My mom, Trudy A’vant DaCruz. A single Black mother of six, she was relentless in trying to create a better world for me and my siblings. She worked hard as a waitress, cleaning homes on the side. She took college classes, and traced our family history to Cape Verde and Guam as a memoir to her own father.

But too often she had to make difficult decisions between paying rent or electric bills. That meant our life was fragmented by power outages and eviction letters. And our family history was lost one day, when our power was turned off due to an overdue bill. 

My mom passed away. But her dedication to our family continues to inspire me-- when I chose to pursue my bachelors degree with no savings and no co-signers, when I supported raising the minimum wage for workers at AS220, and when I chose to run for office. 

My mom and all the other working people who dare to dream of a better world are the reason I’m running for office. I want to create a world where people in power are held accountable. I want to create an equitable Rhode Island where every family can thrive. 

 

Bio:

Savannah grew up experiencing housing eviction, food insecurity, and watched her late mother - a single parent of 6 jump through hoops to provide the basics while working a minimum wage job as a waitress. These experiences of eviction, food insecurity, and poverty are not unique and are the shared narratives of many Rhode Islanders.

Savannah is running for state representative to help bring structural change to the lives of those around her. Savannah DaCruz is a City Year AmeriCorps alum, a New Leaders Council graduate, and serves on the board of directors for AS220 and works as an employment counselor for immigrant and refugee communities in RI.

Read more here.