Congressional race takes shape in Rhode Island 2nd district
By Steve Klamkin Latino Public Radio
From immigration to the economy to health care, two likely candidates for Congress in Rhode Island’s second district spelled out distinctly differing views in separate interviews this week for Latino Public Radio.
“No kid should be vaccinated right now,” said millionaire Florida businessman and ex-Marine Victor Mellor, a Republican who has filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for Congress in the 2026 election.
“I would say stop vaccinating your kids until they figure this out,” said Mellor, a Woonsocket native who said he spent 30 years creating 17 businesses in Florida. “Who else is gonna say that in Rhode Island?,” he asked.
Mellor hopes to unseat two-term Democratic Congressman Seth Magaziner.
“I’ve had countless people calling my office asking what they should do because they can’t afford to pay thousands of dollars more for their health insurance,” counters Magaziner. Congress has been out of session as the government has been shut down in a budget impasse for more than a month.
“We are in the middle of open enrollment right now and people who get their health insurance from HealthSource RI are going online and seeing that they’re gonna be paying hundreds of dollars more a month for their insurance next year,” said Magaziner, the former Rhode Island State General Treasurer.
Mellor staked out a strong position on immigration.
”Legal immigration is great,” he said. “My wife is from Poland so I don’t have a problem with legal immigration. I have a massive problem with illegal immigration.”
On Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents picking up people, often indiscriminately, Mellor said, “I think that’s a media narrative.”
“Why don’t we just go by the ICE reports on who they pick up? They’re mainly… mostly picking up criminals. Now if you’re an illegal alien and you’re around some criminals and you get picked up, that’s kind of on you. Why are you putting yourself in that position?” he asked.
“There’s nothing more that a mom or dad wants for their kids other than safe streets. I don’t care what your nationality is, white, black, Latino. You want your streets safe for your kids and these criminals that they’ve thrown into our country need to go, 100 percent,” Mellor said.
Mellor, who said that he could self-fund his 2026 campaign, which he expects might cost $8 million or more, displayed a blunt outspokenness on the state of Rhode Island politics and government.
“I’m willing to say that the state is basically run by socialists. I’m willing to say that socialism has never worked anywhere in the history of time. I don’t know why these people think it’s gonna work now. I’m willing to say that they’re destroying our school systems. I’m willing to say that this whole environmental thing is a lie, right?”
Speaking with Latino Public Radio on the day after Tuesday’s convincing electoral wins by Democrats across the country, from races for governor’s seats in New Jersey and Virginia, to the mayor’s office in New York City and a redistricting referendum in California, Magaziner said Americans are rejecting President Donald Trump’s policies, and turning away from the Republicans.
“People are being hit by high food costs, high healthcare costs,” Magaziner said.
“There’s a sense that the economy is just kind of stuck. But at the same time what’s Donald Trump doing? He is sending $40 billion to his friend in Argentina (President Javier Milei). He is throwing lavish parties at Mar-a-Lago. He is knocking down the East Wing of the White House to build a multimillion dollar ballroom. And congressional Republicans are just not doing their job. They think that their job is to work for Donald Trump instead of working for the people and I think again voters last night sent a message that they’re not happy with it,” said Magaziner.
In his interview, Mellor talked about his close working relationship with former Trump National Security Adviser retired U.S. Army Lt. General Michael Flynn. Also a native Rhode Islander, Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about talks with Russia’s ambassador during the 2016 presidential transition. He was later pardoned by President Trump, who earlier this year appointed him to the board overseeing the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Both interviews can be seen on Latino Public Radio.
Two other potential candidates have filed with the Federal Elections Commission to run in the 2nd Congressional District in 2026, Republican Gavin Solomon of New York City and Independent Armando Anzoli of East Greenwich.
