The Reform Party is actively fielding a candidate in a Rhode Island legislative race this coming election cycle, as announced in a recent press release by the Reform Party of the United States.
Tony Jones, a municipal official in Narragansett, is running for the office of state representative in Rhode Island’s 34th legislative district, according to a press release issued on Wednesday afternoon. The district encompasses the communities of Narragansett, South Kingstown, and Point Judith, among others. The seat is currently held by Democrat Teresa Tanzi, who has served since first winning election in 2010.
“Dr. Jones is one of the Reform Party’s finest,” the Reform Party’s Vice Chair of Operations Leigh Pollet said in the release. “He represents everything that the Reform Party stands for.”
Jones first joined the Reform Party in 2020, where he has since advised members on various subjects and taken over production of the Reform Party’s official podcast.
In addition to serving as a member of the Narragansett Historic Cemetery Commission, Jones is an adjunct professor at Queens College School of Theology and a local realtor. Previously, Jones was a member of the North Kingston School Committee until he had to resign due to relocating out of the community. He also more recently ran for the Narragansett School Committee in 2022.
Readers of Independent Political Report can learn further about Jones’ most recent appointment and his previous campaigns in an earlier article.
While Rhode Island only recognizes the Democratic and Republican parties, independent candidates like Jones can appear on the ballot with the name of their “political principle, movement or organization” in small print.
The announcement of Jones’ candidacy is one of several recent efforts by Reform Party leadership to revitalize the organization in the new year. In the lead-up to the official press release, the party alluded to endorsing Jones on social media. Additionally, earlier this month, the Reform Party announced on X that it had hired a professional fundraiser as part of its staff for the first time since 2000.
It’s worth noting that an earlier version of the Reform Party press release indicated that Jones was seeking office from another district. However, according to Jones’ own campaign accounts, he is seeking election from the 34th district, which more accurately aligns with residential requirements. The official release has since been corrected as of January 11, 2024.
Editorial note: Tony Jones is a contributing writer to Independent Political Report who focuses on local news related to Rhode Island. He neither contributed to nor was consulted upon for this article.