Nicole Jellinek has won the Democratic Party nomination to become the next state representative from District 67 after decisively defeating Ronald Jarvais Jr. at the Wednesday, Sept. 9, primary election.

As polls closed that evening, Jellinek was trending towards a 55-point win (77.61%-22.39%).

A first-time candidate as was Jarvais, Jellinek advanced to face Independent Joseph DePasquale in race to rep Warren and Barrington at the November 3 general. 

"I'm really excited," Jellinek said of her victory. "I’m grateful that the voters of District 67 supported my candidacy and I’m excited for the race ahead.

The electorate in both parties decided who would be their candidates to stand in the fall, though no Republicans, or Democrats for that matter, were involved in many, if any, of the local primaries.

In fact, incumbent Democrats in the General Assembly — State Senators Walter Felag (D-Dist. 10, Warren, Bristol, Tiverton) and Pam Lauria (D-Dist. 32, Barrington, Bristol, East Providence) as well as State Reps. June Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren, Bristol) and Jennifer Boylan (D-Dist. 66, Barrington, East Providence) — are unchallenged altogether.

In Warren proper there wasn't much to decide as only the one primary took place, that for the District 67 spot being vacated by incumbent Jason Knight, who was among a quartet of candidates in the race to become the Democratic Party's nominee for attorney general to replace term-limited Peter Neronha.

Kim Ahern, a former Special Assistant Attorney General under three Rhode Island attorneys general including Neronha, narrowly edged Keith Hoffman, whom the outgoing AG endorsed, for the nom. Knight and Joseph J. Solomon Jr.  were distant finishers. Alan Gordon was and remains the only Republican in the general race.

The most fiercely fought contest statewide, of course, was that of the Democratic nomimination for governor between incumbent Dan McKee and Helena Foulkes. Foulkes, by nearly a 25% margin, became the first challenger to unseat a sitting governor at the primary since Myrth York beat Bruce Sundlun for the same party's nomination in 1994.

By contrast, incumbent Democrat Sabina Mattos was a relatively easy winner in a four-person field to seek a second term as Rhode Island's lieutenant governor with 37% of the vote, fending off three challengers, including former state senator and Barrington resident Cindy Coyne.

Jellinek, Knight's wife, faced Jarvais in what turned out to be a one-sided affair. With only mail-in ballots awaiting to be counted, she received nearly quadruple the number of votes (1,251-234, 84.24%-15.76%) as that of her opponent in her hometown of Barrington.

In Warren, where Jarvais resides, Jellinek gained nearly the double the amount of ballots.  Again with only mail-in ballots awaiting to be counted, Jellinek held a 63.52%-36.48% (444-255) lead.

As for the other notable primary races, Jack Reed secured the Democratic nod to seek a sixth term in the United States Senate while Gabe Amo was chosen to run for a second full term in the House. Raymond McKay and Kellie Keenan, respectively, will be their Republican challengers.