A first-time candidate is challenging one of the most powerful Democrats in the General Assembly, House Majority Leader John DeSimone.
Marcia Ranglin-Vassell hopes to capitalize on Rhode Islanders’ desire for change. But incumbents like DeSimone generally have an edge in maintaining their legislative seats.
As a car horn sounds, House Majority Leader John DeSimone greets a neighborhood acquaintance: “Nino! How are you, Nino?”
DeSimone is a familiar face on Langdon Street in the North End of Providence — and he should be. DeSimone has lived up the street for the 24 years he’s served as a state rep. So he gets a lot of friendly responses while knocking on doors looking for votes on a recent weekday evening.Listen to the audio version of the story on Marcia Ranglin-Vassell’s challenge to John DeSimone.
Peter Marino, 89, is one of the homeowners who welcomes DeSimone in, along with a small entourage of supporters, including Providence Councilor Nick Narducci and DeSimone’s brother, Tom, and a young campaign aide.
“Oh my God, you got the gang with you!” Marino said.
After some small talk, DeSimone makes his pitch: “Don’t forget to come out on September 13th.”
Marino is clearly a DeSimone supporter. But Marino can barely walk due to his age, so he says he might hold off on voting until the general election in November, saying, “I don’t know about the primary.”
DeSimone responds, “The primary’s the most important.”
Marino: “I know if I can get there, I will be there.”
DeSimone: “We’ll get you a ride, because this election, the primary’s everything. I got a primary opponent for the first time in a long … “
Marino: “The first time, I know …
DeSimone: “… And she’s hoping [for] a low voter turnout. She thinks the old Italians aren’t going to come out and vote for me!”
Marino: “We’ll vote for you, John.”
DeSimone: “I know you will.”
DeSimone’s urgency in rounding up votes for September 13 shows how he’s taking Democratic primary challenger Marcia Ranglin-Vassell seriously.
The level of exertion is unusual for a guy who was first elected as a state rep in 1992. In 2014, DeSimone became majority leader, the second-ranking position in the House of Representatives. That’s when Nicholas Mattiello partnered with DeSimone to get enough votes to win the fight to become House speaker, after the resignation of Gordon Fox.
The 55-year-old DeSimone operates in a law office with his brother Tom on Smith Street in Elmhurst. During an interview there, DeSimone said his experience makes him the best choice to represent the voters of District 5, which also includes the Wanskuck and North End sections of Providence.
“Most importantly, I think I’m very familiar with the issues that affect my district,” DeSimone said. “I was born, brought up, raised my family here in this district. I’ve been here a long time. I’m very familiar with the people in my district, the various issues that affect my district, and what my constituents think are important, and I try to advocate for those issues.”
One issue following DeSimone this year is how he’s repeatedly paid property taxes on his home and law office so late that he’s run up additional costs. He seems a bit tired of talking about it.
“Well, I think I’ve answered that a lot, but I think I’m no different than anyone else in my district,” he said. “I work hard. I struggle with various obligations from time to time, and I pay all my bills in the tax situation.”
As the second-ranking Democrat in the House, DeSimone says his clout as majority leader is a good reason for District 5 voters to re-elect him: “I’ve been working very hard over the past 20 years for District 5 and I think that because of that position that I have now I really could effectuate good things for this district. And I want to continue that.”
But Ranglin-Vassell said it’s time for a change.
“If he’s not been around for 24 years knocking on doors, it’s kind of strange showing up now, now that you have a real competition,” she said.
Ranglin-Vassell said John DeSimone never knocked on her door in the 26 years she’s lived in the Wanskuck part of District 5. She grew up in Jamaica and works as a teacher in the Providence schools.
Ranglin-Vassell says she jumped into the race because of urgent problems like a lack of jobs for young people, underperfoming schools, and outbreaks of gun violence in Wanskuck. She believes DeSimone has not been an effective representative for District 5.
“It’s time to turn the page,” she said. “He is the majority leader, and I don’t – I haven’t seen him leading.”
Ranglin-Vassell’s state rep campaign is her first run for public office. The 56-year-old points to the challenges she’s faced in describing her qualifications to be a lawmaker.
“I’m a fighter,” she said as the aroma of Jamaican cooking filled her home. “I’ve overcome a lot. My parents, we were poor. I’ve overcome poverty to be here. When I came here, I was not able to teach – I became a housekeeper. I do whatever I have to do – I work hard, honestly, and I do whatever I have to do.”
Ranglin-Vassell is an unapologetic progressive who wants to impose new restrictions on guns and raise taxes on the rich to fund other needs. By contrast, DeSimone defends gun rights and points to his support for tax cuts for Rhode Island businesses.
Like DeSimone, Ranglin-Vassell is waging her campaign by knocking on doors across District 5. She says her grassroots run can overcome DeSimone’s advantanges as a long-term incumbent.
“People are going to side with me because they know that I’ve not been in there for 24 years, and I think that’s a good thing,” she said.
But DeSimone has lots of political friendships from his years in public life. It’s hard to travel far in District 5 without seeing one of his campaign signs. DeSimone also had about $83,000 in his campaign account in mid-August, compared with less than $2,000 for Ranglin-Vassell. But a pro-gun control group this week sent a mail piece criticizing DeSimone’s stance on gun issues.
The winner of the September 13 primary between the two Democrats will face Republican Roland Lavallee in November.
