PAWTUCKET – The race for Senate District 8 in Pawtucket features one-term incumbent Sen. Lori Urso seeking to fend of a challenge from first-time candidate Gena Felix.
Felix, twin sister of State Rep. Leonela Felix, says the two have been doing a lot of campaigning together, and enjoying it.
She says she doesn’t know a lot about the incumbent, Urso, but sees her as part of the machine in Pawtucket and part of the “mayor’s establishment.” She said she knows about a few bills Urso has sponsored, including on workplace accommodations for women experiencing menopause, but she doesn’t really know what Urso stands for or what she’s doing for Pawtucket.
Further, said Felix, she worries about Urso’s vote on a bill approving tax breaks for data centers.
Urso said Felix’s assessment of her suggests that the challenger isn’t really paying attention to what she’s been doing as her senator, though she realizes Felix has to say certain things to make her case for why she should replace the incumbent.
Urso said she’s gotten some 10 or so bills passed into law, including two on safety related to AI, bills on mental health, and the menopause in the workplace bill that became a model for 12 other states and the city of Philadelphia.
On the AI bills, Urso said, the federal government is now trying to clamp down on how states deal with the issue because lawmakers want to win the AI race, but she was able to get these bills passed first.
On Felix’s characterization of her as part of the establishment after one term, Urso said she has been unafraid to challenge the status quo when it’s been warranted, and for anyone to be an effective legislator, they have to be able to work with people despite their differences. That’s what she’s done, she added.
Felix describes herself as a nurse, first-generation college graduate, and proud daughter of Dominican immigrants. Her campaign, she says, is built around a simple idea: putting Pawtucket families first. She notes her service in the Rhode Island Army National Guard, including supporting emergency responses such as during Hurricane Sandy.
Felix said it’s been a lot of fun to campaign with her sister, and people often confuse them. Many of the people they visit are very excited about the prospect of the two of them being in office at once, she said, adding that they’ll coordinate closely on efforts for the people.
Where her sister’s point of emphasis is on criminal legal reform, Gena’s expertise is in health care.
Felix said she never intended to run and never saw herself in politics, but found herself worried about the direction of the city and felt she could bring the background of someone from the low-income community, and a single mom still working and going to school. She said she feels bringing all those perspectives to the table is the only way to make real change, as the vast majority of the district is from those communities as well, relying on food stamps and facing housing and food insecurity.
She said she felt that when former Sen. Sandra Cano resigned in 2024, after winning the Democratic primary, Urso was selected to replace her, and she and her neighbors felt they didn’t have a voice in the decision of who would represent them.
“That compelled me to run and give voters a choice,” she states.
Urso said she’s been working hard this campaign season, and has seen an overwhelmingly positive response. She said she’s almost done canvassing the entire district, and is now revisiting some of the people who approached last fall. She said she’s been surprised to see “really unusual” response rates on some days between 50 and 60 percent, where some campaigns of the past have seen 8 to 10 percents. She said she hasn’t had a day yet in that lower range.
It’s difficult to gauge exact levels of support, said Urso, but she’s happy to see high turnout driven in part by interest in the mayor’s race.
Urso said one of her main efforts has been on the medical front, serving on the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services passing legislation last year to create a pathway to licensure for internationally trained physicians to help address the state’s primary care crisis.
She said she also got a bill passed so animal control officers can act quickly in cases of abuse or neglect, where before only the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals could do that and they had to wait on law enforcement.
Urso said she’s also proud of her bill allowing certified nurses to provide preventative foot care in home for people who can’t get out, improving health outcomes and preventing falls and infections.
Impactful bills take a lot of work, she said, adding that she’s also been involved in the process on numerous other bills, including on IVF, Medicaid reimbursements, and other types of primary care.
“I think I’ve been really effective,” said the incumbent.
Felix said she’ll focus on Medicaid reimbursement rates to match other states, lower prescription drug costs, and to reduce administrative burdens in doctor’s offices.
Also, she said, she would support a bill on student loans for health care providers to help expand community-based primary care residency in the state. She said there’s a strong correlation between where people complete their residency and where they practice, and more providers staying in the area will support small primary care practices.
Pawtucket is a wonderful city that she loves, said Felix, calling it “tiny but mighty,” but many of the people she talks to are looking for change because of their cost burden. She said it’s great to see a new soccer stadium in place, but it’s not bringing enough of Pawtucket into the stadium, including local businesses that are not included in the game-day experience.
She said she would support Rep. Megan Cotter’s efforts to create a study commission to investigate the possibility of publicly owned utilities.
On being described as part of the establishment “machine,” Urso said you have to be able to work with a lot of different people. She said she has proven to be her own person, pushing back in particular when tech companies were putting on the pressures this year over a successful bill to require safety features and emotional disclaimers for AI companion technology and chatbots. She said she’ll always be on the side of children and vulnerable people, and despite knowing that progress requires compromise, she will never compromise in certain areas.
One thing that’s been abundantly clear during her first term, said Urso, is that no one is going to a superhero in the General Assembly and get a lot done without working closely with others.
Urso said she plans to focus on bills for mobility-impaired individuals, including creation of a special registration plate to replace the “nightmare” hang tags that give so many people trouble.
Urso was recruited 13 years ago to runt eh Old Slater Mill Museum Complex, and today she runs the the Slater Industrial Archives as a research organization educating and promoting the city’s industrial heritage.
While Felix is supporting Adam Greenman for mayor, suggesting that he’ll be more in-tune with working people, Urso said she’s backing Mayor Donald Grebien and said the momentum and revitalization for the city under his leadership have been undeniable. She said the incumbent has developed experience and relationships to keep the city’s progress going.
That said, Urso cautioned, officials will need to be careful not to drive out the diverse populations and cultures that make Pawtucket such a wonderful place. As it is building and growing, she said, everyone needs to focus on those across the socio-economic spectrum to make sure people can keep living here and doing so comfortably.
