YOUR 2026 DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES
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STATE REPRESENTATIVES
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SAMUEL A. AZZINARO
REPRESENTATIVE
District 37
BRIAN PATRICK KENNEDY
REPRESENTATIVE
District 38
STATE SENATE
VICTORIA GU
SENATOR
District 38
TOWN COUNCIL
ALEX
HEALY
MIKE
OBER
ANNE PEARCE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
GAIL BARRINGTON
DAWN
DiSCUILLO
COLIN
SWEET
REPRESENTATIVE SAMUEL A. AZZINARO
District 37 Candidate, Incumbent
Samuel A. Azzinaro (D) has served the residents of District 37 in Westerly since first elected in November 2008. He is Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and serves as a member of the Innovation & Technology Committee, the House Rules Committee, and the House Special Legislation Committee.
During the 2021 legislative session, Chairman Azzinaro continued to focus on the health and well-being of Rhode Island’s veterans. He sponsored a new law allowing the director of Veterans' Services to appoint an administrator for the RI Veterans’ Home who is an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Armed Forces. He was also the sponsor of another new law which allows business vehicles--owned by a veteran entity and registered and authorized to conduct business in the state of Rhode Island--to register such business vehicles with veteran plates.
He chaired a commission which led to the 2020 dedication and unveiling of a new memorial to the nine Rhode Island Marines killed in the 1983 Beirut bombing attack. The memorial is located along the Providence River.
In 2019, Sam was honored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars with the group’s Legislative Award due to his consistent and tireless advocacy for veterans’ issues at the State House.
He was instrumental in creating the Westerly Higher Education and Job Skills Center, which is training individuals in high-skilled manufacturing jobs. Sam helped to develop the concept for the center, obtain the funding and secure partnerships with colleges and businesses.
Representative Azzinaro previously served for 12 years on the Westerly Town Council, including four years as its President, and six years on the Westerly Recreation Board, including three years as its chairman.
He served in the RI National Guard for four years plus an additional two years’ active duty and two years’ inactive duty as a member of the Army Reserves, for a total of eight years of service. Sam was a Staff Sergeant E6.
Representative Azzinaro was born in 1943. He is a retired textile worker, business owner, and carpenter, and resides in Westerly with his wife, Carol. They have five children, eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
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In these challenging times, it’s more important than ever to have steady, experienced leadership at the State House. Brian Patrick Kennedy is a Westerly resident who has been honored to serve the people in the 38th District for 38-years in the Rhode Island House of Representatives. He is Speaker Pro Tempore of the House, the Dean of the House and the past Chairman of the House Committee on Corporations. Brian is a member of the House Rules Committee, the House Committee on State Government and Elections, and the House Committee on Innovation, Internet and Technology.
Brian is the owner of Kennedy Realty & Appraisal in Ashaway. He was educated in the Chariho Regional School district and received a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA and a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major from Providence College. Brian is an active member of many state and local community organizations including the Cox Charitable Foundation. At the national level, Brian is the President Emeritus of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), the premiere bi-partisan organization and the laboratory of democracy for state legislators and legislative staff. Brian is also a Past President of the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) and a Past President of the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board.
Brian was a champion in the phase-out of the motor vehicle excise tax which has helped save Westerly residents local property tax. In addition, Brian sponsored legislation that was enacted into law that allowed Westerly to increase the property tax exemptions for veterans and widows of veterans while increasing the holdings of the Westerly Public Library. Brian has been the sponsor of numerous consumer protection laws including consumer privacy of personal information, tighter regulation of credit reporting agencies and placing consumer protections on non-regulated power suppliers to protect RI residents who choose an alternative electricity supplier. He authored the law that mandates that gift cards and gift certificates cannot have an expiration date in RI and prevents businesses from charging monthly fees to deplete the value of the gift card.
Brian also sponsored a new law that addresses deed fraud in Rhode Island that will protect property owners from potential illegal conversion of property rights. Brian sponsored the law to allow telemedicine in the State to provide RI citizens with greater access to healthcare providers and authored the Pharmacy Freedom of Choice law that allows consumers to choose the pharmacy they want to fill their prescriptions. He sponsored the law that limits the co-pay on insulin to $40 and authored the law to extend Medicare supplement insurance policies to those under age 65. In 2024, the Rhode Island State Nurses Association honored Brian with the President’s Award for leading a 2023 study commission that resulted in his sponsorship of and the passage of the Nurse Licensure Compact Act by the General Assembly.
During his time of service, he has authored numerous insurance laws that benefit our military, homeowners and the business community, including providing consumers with plain and simple disclosure of homeowner insurance deductibles for storm-related damage. Brian also sponsored a new law to establish a “Strengthen Rhody Homes” program, which will be used to apply for and receive financial grants or gifts to construct or retrofit insurable property to resist loss due to a hurricane or other catastrophic events. Brian is a strong advocate for the people in his legislative district. Real Action, Real Results and Always Fighting on YOUR Behalf.
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN PATRICK KENNEDY
District 38 Candidate, Incumbent
Senator Victoria Gu was elected to the Senate in November 2022.
A leader on climate issues, Sen. Gu passed the Act on Coasts and helped secure an additional $5 million in Green Bond funding for municipal climate resilience projects. She also strengthened mental health protections by advocating for Medicaid reimbursement for school social workers and psychologists and led legislation requiring AI chatbot companions to include safeguards for
users in crisis.
In her second term, Sen. Gu passed a law requiring oceanfront properties to disclose the public’s shoreline access rights and a law protecting against new parking restrictions near rights-of-way to the water. She also passed a law requiring insurers to provide at least 60 days’ notice before non-renewing homeowners’ insurance policies, giving families more time to find
coverage in a more challenging market.
Looking ahead, Sen. Gu is focused on reforming for-profit utilities like RI Energy, upgrading Westerly Station for more frequent, affordable transportation, and securing long-term funding for community paramedicine programs that improve access to primary care.
Sen. Gu grew up in South Kingstown and graduated from South Kingstown High School and Harvard University. She works as a software engineer and data analyst and now resides in Westerly.
Sen. Gu can be reached at (401) 388-0696 and sen-gu@rilegislature.gov
SENATOR VICTORIA GU
District 38 Candidate, Incumbent
Alexandra Healy is serving her first term on the Westerly Town Council, where she is known for thoughtful decision-making, constituent advocacy, and transparent government. A Bradford resident since 2016, she lives with her husband and two sons and is committed to preserving Westerly as a special place to live, work, and raise a family. As Deputy Accounting Clerk for the Town of Hopkinton, with prior municipal planning experience, Alex brings practical knowledge of local financial, operational, and planning challenges to the Council.
Since taking office in December 2024, she has focused on responsible growth, community character, and responsive government. She chairs the Council’s Appointments Subcommittee and serves as liaison to the Westerly Housing Authority, Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce, Recreation Board, and Housing Committee. Alex led the bipartisan effort to create the Housing Committee, earning unanimous Council approval, and continues to pursue solutions for senior, workforce, affordable, low- and moderate-income, and accessible housing. She has supported responsible investments in schools, recreation, arts and culture, housing studies, planning, and community services, while advocating for greater school funding and stronger municipal planning capacity.
A longtime Bradford advocate, Alex helped plan an ADA-accessible multigenerational recreation complex at the former Bradford Elementary School and led efforts to preserve the Bowling Lane basketball court for public use. She has also pursued traffic and safety improvements, monitored environmental remediation at the former Bradford Dyeing Association property, and worked to keep Bradford’s voice strong in local government.
Alex champions public shoreline access, transparency, official training, and easier public access to municipal information. Her current priorities include responsible growth, housing, environmental stewardship, recreation, neighborhood character, short-term rental policy, and data center development. Beyond the Council, she serves as Second Vice Chair of the Westerly Democratic Town Committee, organizing events, fundraisers, and volunteer initiatives, including a food drive that collected more than 1,785 pounds for local families. Alex remains committed to expanding opportunity and accessibility so every Westerly neighborhood shares in the community’s success.
ALEX HEALY
Town Council Candidate, Incumbent
Michael Ober lives on Sherwood Drive in Westerly with his wife, Tammy, and his two sons, Zachary and Nathaniel. Michael has worked for the State of Connecticut Department of Social Services for the last 36 years. He currently serves as a representative of the Department of Social Services Strategic Development Team.
Michael earned a master’s degree in public administration in 2012. He was a member of the Westerly School Committee from 1998 to 2004 and rejoined the School Committee in 2020. Michael has served as Vice Chair of the School Committee since 2024. During Michael’s School Committee tenure from 1998 to 2004, a new Superintendent was hired, a technology director was hired to improve technological platforms and applications, and academic performance improved across the board. Westerly High School was renovated, which created a campus setting that included an expansion to Babcock Hall; the construction of Westerly Middle School followed.
Upon his return to the School Committee in 2020, Michael helped develop policy to
reopen Westerly schools during COVID and policy to govern cell phone use. He has worked successfully to improve Westerly Public Schools’ academic performance. As a member of the Westerly Public Schools’ Building Subcommittee since 2020, Michael has overseen renovations at Dunns Conners and Springbrook Elementary Schools and the construction of a new State Street School. He has served as Vice Chair of the Town of Westerly’s Board of Finance and as Vice Chair of Westerly Municipal Land Trust. Michael’s experience with Westerly Public Schools, municipal budgeting processes, dealing with government agencies, and developing policies to address issues facing our school district will make Michael an effective member of the Westerly Town Council.
MIKE OBER
Town Council Candidate, Currently on School Committee
Anne Pearce has called Westerly home for 23 years, but her roots in community service run even deeper. Her love for this community has led to over 20 years of service, including serving as a board member and on steering committees for nonprofits, volunteering and preparing meals at local food pantries and shelters, organizing neighborhood art and education events, helping build affordable homes for those in need, and serving as a literacy volunteer. She is a mother and caregiver first, and everything she’s done in this town and in her career comes from the same instinct: solving the problem in front of you with care, courage, and hard work.
Born and raised in Connecticut, Anne earned a degree in chemical engineering and spent 12 years as a principal scientist in research and development at Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati. There, she led breakthrough work on technologies and therapies to treat and prevent infectious diseases in children and advance women’s healthcare, earning several publications and patents, as well as P&G’s Outstanding Achievement and Dedication award. But when it came time to raise her own family, she returned to the East Coast to be closer to family and the people who matter most to her.
Anne is running for Town Council because she wants to bring the same care, commitment, rigor, and team-building skills that have guided her life to the issues shaping our daily lives here in Westerly. Town Council decisions touch every household, yet too often the people making them don’t reflect the people living with the results. She believes local government works best when it listens first, shows up prepared, is principled, and leans on the people it serves. This isn’t a new chapter for her; it’s the next step in a journey of service she started decades ago.
ANNE PEARCE
Town Council Candidate
GAIL BARRINGTON
School Committee Candidate
A lifelong Rhode Island resident, Gail Barrington grew up in South Kingstown. She moved to Westerly in 1987 after graduating from The University of Rhode Island with a BS in nursing. Gail began her career at The Westerly Hospital before joining L&M in New London, CT. As a labor and delivery nurse for more than 38 years, Gail has dedicated her career to caring for and educating families. She continues to expand her knowledge through multiple nursing and wellness certifications as well as earning a master's degree in Applied Nutrition from Northeastern University in 2016.
Gail’s commitment to Westerly extends beyond her professional life. You can often find her walking the Westerly Town Forest with her dog Trudy and a pair of loppers. Becoming a steward of the trails sparked her interest in local government. In 2022, Gail joined the Westerly Conservation Commission, where she works to engage families and educate the community about the Town Forest and its ecological impact on the Pawcatuck River. She also signed on to the Municipal Land Trust to deepen her understanding of Westerly’s open spaces. When she isn’t working or volunteering, Gail enjoys gardening with her chickens as well as weightlifting and hiking with her husband, Stan. She is the proud mother of three daughters, all of whom were educated in Westerly--from YMCA preschoolers through Westerly High School.
Why run for Westerly School Committee?
Gail understands firsthand that a strong public education is about far more than academics. It supports a child’s physical, emotional, psychosocial, and environmental well-being, and its impact can last a lifetime.
Today’s children face unique challenges, and our schools must continue to evolve to meet them. Gail believes students, parents, teachers, and staff all deserve to be heard, respected and supported. Our schools need a School Committee that listens carefully, communicates openly, and is a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars while keeping students and the quality of their education at the center of every decision.
Gail brings a diverse background, lifelong commitment to learning, and a deep love for the Westerly community. She is ready to serve as a thoughtful, compassionate voice for our children and schools.
DAWN DiSCUILLO
School Committee Candidate
With 15 years in the classroom and deep roots in the Westerly community, Dawn DiScuillo brings both professional expertise and personal passion to her candidacy for the Westerly School Committee.
A proud URI alumna, Dawn earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Elementary Education and History in 2010, and most recently completed a Master of Education in Literacy from Sacred Heart University in 2024. Her classroom experience in the East Lyme, CT, Public School District spans kindergarten through sixth grade, giving her a well-rounded understanding of how children grow and learn throughout their elementary years. She currently serves on the district-wide Elementary Literacy Leadership Team and has served as a curriculum fellow — roles that reflect her commitment to strengthening education at every level. This fall, she begins an exciting new chapter as a Literacy Interventionist at a K-4 school, work she considers among the most meaningful of her career.
Westerly has always had a special place in Dawn's heart. She spent her early childhood here before her family relocated to California, but the pull of this community never faded. At 26, she returned to reconnect with family, pursue her education, and put down permanent roots — and she hasn't looked back since. Now 24 years later, she and her husband are raising their 12-year-old daughter right here in the Westerly school system, with family ties to this town stretching back over a century. When she advocates for our students, she's advocating for her own child, too.
Dawn's commitment to Westerly's young people extends well beyond the classroom. For the past three years, she has volunteered as a cheer coach for Westerly Peewee Football and Cheer, bringing the same enthusiasm and dedication to the sidelines that she brings to her students every day. When the family isn't involved in community activities or cheering on local kids, you'll likely find them exploring Westerly's beautiful beaches with their dog.
Dawn DiScuillo believes every child in Westerly deserves a strong, supportive, and well-resourced education. She is ready to bring her experience, her energy, and her boundless love for this community to the School Committee.
Colin has lived in Westerly for over a decade and is delighted to be the parent of a
Westerly Public Schools kindergartner. He is an advisor engineer for the Naval Nuclear Laboratory, where he has worked for 18 years, beginning his career in upstate New York before relocating to the Groton, Connecticut office.
Colin’s father is a retired Army officer, and his family moved throughout the country before settling in Orange County, New York, when he was in elementary school. He played the trumpet throughout high school and toured in a ska band with friends after graduation. He attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering.
Colin is a lifelong learner and is excited to share his passion for education, science, and books with his 5-year-old son. Watching his son’s delight in school and learning is what inspired him to serve the Westerly Public Schools community in a larger capacity. Colin is committed to doing what is best for Westerly’s students, parents, teachers, and staff. He feels strongly that education should be accessible for all children regardless of background and will advocate for our schools to be a safe and welcoming space for children of all faiths, races, abilities, genders, and orientations. As an engineer and science lover, he understands the importance of teaching real science in schools. As a book lover, he believes that children’s books should reflect many lived experiences beyond the students’ own world.
Colin enjoys yoga, hiking, reading, and going to the Westerly Town Beach with his
family. He loves living in our beautiful community and wants to help ensure that
Westerly is thriving for generations to come.
