Democrat Rep. plans to leave Congress in June

Democrat Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) announced that he will retire from Congress in June to become president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, setting up an off-year special election to fill his seat.

“Serving the people of Rhode Island’s First Congressional District has been the honor of my lifetime,” Cicilline said as part of a lengthy statement. “As President and CEO of one of the largest and oldest community foundations in the nation, I look forward to expanding on the work I have led for nearly thirty years in helping to improve the lives of all Rhode Islanders.”

Cicilline is part of Democrat leadership and serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Judiciary Committee, where there will now be an open seat.

He was a strong voice among Democrats for big tech censorship and said he wanted to promote "trustworthy" sources in journalism.

He said the “chance to lead the Rhode Island Foundation was unexpected, but it is an extraordinary opportunity to have an even more direct and meaningful impact on the lives of residents of our state.”

The Boston Globe reported that Cicilline's salary with the foundation will be $650,000 a year, which is a big jump from the $174,000 he makes as a lawmaker.