Ronald Jarvais

Nicole Jellinek

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The Warren Times-Gazette engaged the candidates — Nicole Jellinek and Ronald Jarvais — seeking the Democratic Party nomination at the Wednesday, Sept. 9, primary election to fill the vacant Rhode Island General Assembly House seat from District 67 (Warren and Barrington) with a series of questions on issues pertaining to their race.

The correspondence was done via email. Their answers are unedited as to avoid any claim of being taken out of context or being misquoted.

Note: The scheduled forum between the candidates on September 2 co-hosted by The League of Women Voters-Rhode Island and East Bay Media Group (parent company of The Times-Gazette) was canceled after Jarvais declined to participate, telling EBMG owner/managing editor Scott Pickering he "needs to spend the time campaigning."

The following is the results of the Q&A:

Why did you choose to run?

Nicole Jellinek: I have a long career of advocating for social change: as a clinical social worker, as an activist, and as a leader in the reproductive rights movement. I am running because I bring the skills, life experiences, and values to represent District 67.

Ronald Jarvais: I chose to run because after a lifetime in this district, I can no longer watch poor state-level policy decisions compromise the future of our towns. Our community deserves to thrive, yet current leadership at the State House continues to support a status quo that lags behind where we should be in key quality-of-life areas. This election shouldn't just be a continuation of the same ineffective approach. With the strong encouragement of my family, neighbors, and fellow residents, I am running to bring accountability, fresh energy, and practical solutions to District 67.

What specific issue or issues pertaining to Warren and Barrington would be your focus in the Assembly?

NJ: There are many issues facing District 67, but I will focus on 3:

a. Healthcare. I regularly hear from District 67 constituents about their difficulties accessing healthcare and mental healthcare. I believe that every Rhode Islander has a right to affordable and high-quality healthcare. People are struggling to find PCPs, get timely appointments with specialists, or finding psychiatrists and other mental health providers, including for addiction treatment. We need to invest in recruiting and retaining healthcare workers, including ensuring that reimbursement rates match our neighbors in CT and MA, that we are addressing concerns about administrative burnout, and expanding local training pipelines.

b. Energy affordability. Energy costs are too high and I'm committed to exploring ways to stabilize our electric and gas bills, without sacrificing our commitment to renewable energy and energy efficiency.

c. Climate. Both Barrington and Warren are communities on the shore and thus are vulnerable; efforts to ensure resilience to the effects of climate change are necessary. I support policies that help Barrington and Warren prepare for climate change, with the resources, infrastructure, and expertise they need to adapt and protect residents from its impacts. I also support efforts to de-politicize Coastal Resources Management Council (which is currently a politically appointed body) and absorb it into Department of Environmental Management.

RJ: Preservation of our unique character and charm that we call home. Right now, our district is facing unprecedented pressure from aggressive development, driven by a one-size-fits-all approach from the State House. Constituents in Barrington and Warren are deeply and rightfully concerned about overdevelopment. Our infrastructure—from school capacities and narrow residential roads to our sensitive coastal environment—cannot sustain massive, unchecked high-density complexes that bypass local planning rules. We absolutely need affordable housing, but it must be developed smartly and incrementally. As your representative, I will fight to return zoning control to our local boards so that new housing is consistent with the scale and character of our historic towns, rather than dictated by out-of-town developers." 

On the specific matter of housing, the state comprehensive permit, would you lobby for any changes giving some more leeway to municipalities?

NJ: The state comprehensive permit was initially implemented over 30 years ago and has been effective in creating housing units--though it has become increasingly controversial. Building housing is a good thing! The General Assembly has passed a series of housing packages in recent years. I support a pause on additional housing legislation as the General Assembly assesses the impact of the recent changes on municipalities, with the input of municipal leaders, planners, developers and the public.

RJ: Yes, I will absolutely lobby for changes to give our municipalities more leeway. While I fully support the state's goal of expanding affordable housing, the current comprehensive permit process has stripped too much decision-making power from Warren and Barrington. A one-size-fits-all state mandate fails to account for our unique local infrastructure, narrow historic streets, and fragile coastal environments. I will advocate for amendments that restore local planning board authority over density bonuses and parking requirements, ensuring that new projects are scaled appropriately to our neighborhoods. We need a collaborative partnership between the state and our towns, not top-down mandates that cut local residents out of the conversation." 

On Democratic Party policy, are you pro-choice? Pro gun control? Pro universal healthcare? Feel free to elaborate on any or all three.

NJ: I am 100% in support of reproductive rights and freedom, commonsense gun violence prevention, and universal and accessible healthcare.

RJ: Rhode Island has codified these rights, and I respect that settled law. If reproductive health legislation is introduced in the future, I will be an educated and thorough legislator. I will actively participate in the committee process, listen to my constituents, and vote to uphold the reproductive privacy and healthcare access that Rhode Island residents expect and deserve.

Responsible gun ownership and community safety go hand in hand. Rhode Island has established laws regarding firearm possession, and I support our neighbors' constitutional right to self-defense and property protection. The real threat to our towns is not law-abiding citizens, but the rise in illegal gun violence. As a legislator, I will advocate for maximum accountability for those who use firearms to commit crimes. Instead of adding complex administrative layers for responsible owners, we need to focus state resources on rigorous enforcement of current laws, mental health interventions, and targeting illegal firearm trafficking 

Our immediate focus must be on stabilizing Rhode Island's fragile healthcare infrastructure rather than attempting to implement a massive, state-run universal healthcare system. Right now, our healthcare professionals are being financially squeezed by extreme insurance company profits and burdensome administrative red tape. This has created a critical shortage of local providers. Furthermore, our state's uncompetitive reimbursement rates fail those who rely on Medicaid and Medicare. I support pragmatic, market-driven reforms that ensure fair compensation for our frontline medical workers. By reducing administrative red tape and lowering out-of-pocket costs, we can provide quality, dependable care to every resident without creating a costly new government bureaucracy.

Again, from a Democratic Party perspective, how should the state best respond to what is currently perceived as a federal government hostile to much of what the Rhode Island electorate supports?

NJ: I agree that the federal government is hostile to much of what the RI electorate supports, including many voters of District 67 whom I have spoken with. I support what the General Assembly has done to hold strong against the Trump administration. As an activist I worked to codify Roe v. Wade into state law, ahead of successful efforts to overturn Roe on the federal level. As a legislator, I will support all efforts to protect against federal overreach, such as the codification of the Affordable Care Act in 2023 and the recent legislation creating guardrails on ICE.

RJ: Rhode Island is at its best when we control our own destiny. When federal leadership conflicts with our local priorities, state officials must double down on delivering practical, home-grown solutions. We do this by passing balanced budgets, investing in our own local infrastructure, and ensuring our state laws reflect our community’s consensus on social and economic issues. I believe in a strong, self-reliant Rhode Island. By protecting our legislative independence and focusing on the immediate needs of Warren and Barrington, we can insulate our towns from federal instability and keep our community moving forward.

And one for Warren specifically, the current regional school district model has caused the town financial stresses, how can this be remedied? Should it have a district-wide tax earmarked for education, which could be seen as being equitable? What are your thoughts?

NJ: Earlier this year, the Blue Ribbon Commission on School Funding released a report stating that the school funding formula is essentially broken. As a state legislator, I will join efforts to update the formula, taking into account district operational costs, transportation, building maintenance, high-need student demographics and legacy teacher pension debt. The report also recommended changing the baseline for local town contributions, basing them on actual property wealth instead of the current "suggested" model.

RJ: The financial strain the regional school funding formula places on Warren is completely unsustainable. Warren taxpayers cannot continue to absorb disproportionate spikes every time enrollment shifts by a fraction of a percent. However, I do not support a district-wide earmarked tax. Creating an independent taxing authority strips our elected Town Council of its oversight and could lead to unchecked property tax hikes for Warren working families and seniors. The real remedy must come from the state level. In the General Assembly, I will lobby to reform the Rhode Island school housing aid and funding formulas to explicitly account for a municipality's true ability to pay. We need to increase state education aid to regionalized districts so that local property taxpayers aren’t left filling the gap, while ensuring Warren retains full control over its fiscal destiny.