Voters in Rhode Island State Representative District 69, which includes parts of Bristol and Portsmouth, will have two candidates to choose from, as incumbent Democrat Sue Donovan will take on independent challenger Sergei Sharenko in a candidates forum at Roger Williams University on Oct. 2.

Donovan, a retired Bristol Warren school teacher, was first elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 2016. She described herself as an advocate long before she was in public service, writing letters to the editor regularly during her time in the private sector. She describes her biggest areas of concern as women’s issues, environmental issues, and gun control.

Donovan said one of her proudest accomplishments was the passage of women’s rights bill. “My signature bill that I’m most proud of is our pay equity legislation. It is actually a model for around the country, and I’ve gotten calls from as far as Oregon about the legislation,” she said.

Donovan said another bill she is proud of is a bill banning the intentional release of helium balloons, saying she has been made fun of for the bill, but she received a lot of appreciation from local fishermen.

If elected to a new term, Donovan said she would want to focus on issues such as housing and health care, as well as childcare. This issue is extra important due to her experience as a teacher and as a grandmother. “Childcare was $90 a day for each infant, and it was 75 for the toddler,” she said about the money spent on her grandchildren’s daycare. “And you can’t pay for that if you have a regular job.”

The challenger

Her opponent, Sharenko, was originally from the Soviet Union before relocating to Rhode Island during his adulthood. He said he was inspired to run after seeing a decent turnout for the Republican nominee during the last election in 2022. “A lot of people were encouraging me to run,” he said. “At this point, I said, this is my time.”

Sharenko describes himself as a regular guy who works in manufacturing. He is a regular call-in guest on local Rhode Island radio shows and, like Donovan, was known to write letters to the editor before his election campaign. Sharenko believes the Rhode Island General Assembly is working on too many bills, but without the right priorities.

“People have real issues that need to be addressed, and I’m talking about District 69. I’m not talking about North Kingston. I’m not talking about Woonsokett, I don’t live there,” he said.

During the public forum, hosted by the League of Women Voters, the two candidates showed they have different views on many issues.

Gun laws

Sharenko: “I would support the common-sense combos. That does not include bans. I do not like banning anything. I’m in no place to tell people what they can have and what they cannot have.” Sharenko did say he supports background checks and red flag laws.

Donovan: “When I talk to neighbors, a top issue is keeping military-style guns out of the hands of civilians. No one will argue that we need our kids safe in school, our citizens safe in public places and our loved ones safe from suicide by firearm.” Donovan pointed to her years as a public school teacher as the reasoning behind her support for assault weapon bans.

A Constitutional Convention

Donovan: “I think the advocates that are pushing for that have an agenda that is risky, limiting workers’ rights, limiting LGBTQ rights, blurring the lines between church and state.” She also cited the high cost of holding a Constitutional Convention in Rhode Island, and the fact that there is already a process to change laws through legislation.

Sharenko: “I think we should have it, because I think people should have a choice.” He cited his belief that people from both sides of the issue could have special interests, as well as his belief that the government spends a lot more money on other things that he believes is unnecessary.

The state budget

Sharenko: “I think we’re doing a horrible job. I think the administration is on no leash, running around. You all see what is happening with the infrastructure right now.” He also said he wanted more reimbursements for healthcare workers, saying that doctors are leaving the state due to poor pay.

Donovan: “The budget is a huge document, and we take a lot of time. We go through it article by article. It’s a document that’s our priority as a state.” While being in favor of the budget’s use, she did agree that there is concern about healthcare workers leaving and mentioned that Rhode Island may need to create incentives to keep them in the state.

On substance abuse and mental health

Donovan: “We fully funded provider increases for behavior health; that was a real issue for providers. And we need to increase mental health services for children. Whether we do that in the private sector or in schools, I think it’s really important that we pay attention to children’s mental health.”

Sharenko: “We have to categorize people with the serious mental issues or the people who just want to do drugs. Because some people have actual issues, and some people don’t want to be helped. So, if people don’t want to be helped, why are we wasting money on them?”

A complete recording of the Oct. 2 forum can be found here.