The District 1 contest
Four candidates are running for Rhode Island’s U.S. House District 1 seat in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The field includes Democratic incumbent Gabriel F Amo, Republican Kellie Eleanor Keenan and two independent candidates, Wilfred MR Curioso and Pedro Desouza.
The race is contested because more than one candidate is seeking the same seat. Voters will have a choice among candidates carrying Democratic, Republican and independent labels. Amo is the only incumbent in the field, meaning he currently holds the office being contested.
This is the general election rather than a party primary. The candidates will compete for the District 1 seat in the same election, giving voters a direct choice among all four names.
Who is running
The field has one Democratic candidate, one Republican candidate and two independent candidates. A party label identifies a candidate’s affiliation in this race, while the independent label distinguishes candidates who are not running as the Democratic or Republican nominee. Those labels do not, by themselves, establish where a candidate stands on a specific issue.
Gabriel F Amo, Democrat: Amo is running as the Democratic candidate and is the incumbent. He is one of four choices in the District 1 general election. There are no documented policy positions for Amo in this race at this stage.
Kellie Eleanor Keenan, Republican: Keenan is running as the Republican candidate. She is one of four choices in the District 1 general election. There are no documented policy positions for Keenan in this race at this stage.
Wilfred MR Curioso, independent: Curioso is running as an independent candidate. He is one of four choices in the District 1 general election. There are no documented policy positions for Curioso in this race at this stage.
Pedro Desouza, independent: Desouza is running as an independent candidate. He is one of four choices in the District 1 general election. There are no documented policy positions for Desouza in this race at this stage.
What is contested
The central choice is whether voters select the Democratic incumbent, the Republican candidate or one of the two independent candidates. The presence of four candidates makes this a multi-candidate contest rather than an uncontested election or a race limited to the Democratic and Republican nominees.
The field also gives voters two candidates carrying the same broad independent designation. Curioso and Desouza are separate candidates, and each will need to be considered individually alongside Amo and Keenan.
No issue-by-issue comparison can be made from documented candidate positions at this stage. A candidate’s party or independent label should not be treated as a substitute for the candidate’s own stated views.
What comes next
Candidate statements and policy platforms will help define the differences among Amo, Keenan, Curioso and Desouza as the campaign develops. The same standard applies to all four: their positions should be evaluated from what each candidate says or publishes about the issues.
Campaign finance disclosures may also add information about fundraising, spending and cash on hand. Election administration details, including voter instructions for the Nov. 3 general election, will provide the practical information Rhode Islanders need to participate. None of those steps determines the outcome; voters will make that choice in the general election.
