Rep. Joe Shekarchi becomes next Rhode Island House Speaker

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island lawmakers opened the new legislative session on Tuesday, taking their oath of office and formally electing State Rep. Joseph Shekarchi as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The 58-year-old Warwick Democrat succeeds former House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, who was defeated by Republican activist Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung in the November election.

Shekarchi, who was first elected in 2012, served as House Majority Leader under Mattiello. He’s also a former campaign manager for Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo.

House Democrats picked Shekarchi as their 65-member caucus’ pick for speaker immediately after Mattiello’s stunning loss.

On Tuesday, the chamber’s 10-member Republican caucus also nominated House Minority Leader Blake Filippi for the post, which is considered one of the most powerful offices in the state due to the chamber’s control of the state budget process.

Shekarchi defeated Filippi with support from 59 of the chamber’s 75 lawmakers.

He becomes the state’s second openly gay house speaker. The first was Gordon Fox, who resigned in 2014 amid a federal corruption investigation.

State Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, a long-serving North Providence Democrat, is also expected to be reelected to another two-year term Tuesday when the Senate convenes its session at Rhode Island College.