Candidates

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CENTRAL FALLS

Tatiana Baena, Central Falls - An incumbent committed to accessible, responsive government, Baena actively engages residents through multiple channels and places a strong emphasis on constituent service and follow-through.

NEWPORT

Emily Conklin, City Council - Since 2021, Conklin has attended over 100 Newport City Council meetings to post live notes for the public. Once elected, she would focus on local government transparency and advocating for local residents’ needs.

Elizabeth Barron, School Committee - A school psychologist by trade, Barron says the difference between struggling versus thriving public schools isn’t the students nor their families, but a lack of strong leadership and an inability to turn vision into practical actions. 

Kendra Wilson Meunter, School Board -Muenter has her eyes set on the chair seat to safeguard marginalized students, clean up antiquated policies, set clear goals for the superintendent and pressure the city council into providing adequate funding. 

Penelope Hunt, School Board - Hunt is concerned by the school system’s current lack of transparency and insufficient funding. She wants to help hire the new Superintendent and ensure schools better serve multilingual learners. 

Taryn Mazza, City Council - Born and raised in Newport, Mazza’s work for the local Health Equity Zone (HEZ)  informs her passion to ensure year-round residents’ needs are carefully balanced against the demands of the tourism industry. 

NORTH KINGSTOWN

Jessica Plavicki, Town Council - After building a successful career in science while raising a family, Plavicki brings experience navigating complex challenges and finding common ground in polarizing settings.

Linnea Drew, Town Council - An incumbent who understands the pressing challenges of the town’s families with younger children, Drew advocates practical solutions to improve everyday life for parents and children as well as seniors. 

Stacey Weinstein, Town Council -  An experienced local leader who has championed greater representation in town government, Weinstein is proud to be part of a slate that reflects the diversity and values of her community.

PAWTUCKET

Angeliz Rosa, School Board - A first-term council member who earned recognition for advocating on behalf of families affected by a recent redistricting decision, Rosa has focused her tenure on responsive constituent service and community engagement. 

Jennifer Bustamante, School Board - An immigrant from Mexico and community advocate who is committed to ensuring that all families in her district see their experiences and perspectives reflected in local education decision-making. 

Yesenia Rubio, City Council (At Large) - A small business owner, Latina, mother, and LGBTQ person, Rubio brings a broad range of experiences and perspectives to public service and local decision-making. As an at-large candidate, she needs more funding to reach the entire municipality. 

PROVIDENCE

Annajane Yolken, City Council - A community organizer and first-time candidate who brings a strong interest in public policy alongside a focus on addressing everyday neighborhood concerns and improving city services. Yolken is running against a well-off, self-funded opponent.

Jackie Goldman, City Council - A progressive community activist who has already canvassed 3,000 homes, demonstrating a deep commitment to voter engagement and grassroots organizing. Goldman is running against two well-off, self-funded opponents.  

Yulyana Torres, City Council - Raised in Providence as the daughter of Dominican immigrants, Torres is an attorney who advocates for survivors of domestic violence and is committed to serving the community that helped shape her. She is in a tight three-way race at the primary.

ENDORSEMENT CRITERIA AND PROCESS

For our pilot round in August 2026, we limited ourselves to candidates from four RI municipalities and to a maximum of 10 endorsements. For our Newport-focused round in October 2026, we limited ourselves to a maximum of five endorsements.

Candidates had to be women or gender expansive people who share our values and who are running for municipal office.  After gathering the signatures needed to be on the ballot, candidates were asked to  personally fill out an application and then to be interviewed by a committee of our members. Our members then voted on the final 10 based on (1) their expressed values, (2) their plans for how they would use additional campaign funding if selected, (3) the potential impact of Build The Bench RI’s support on their goals.

Applicants who are running for races we are endorsing in get to meet some of our founding members, all of whom are political donors and volunteers, during your interview with us.  Endorsed candidates will receive direct donations from half or more of our members. Additionally, they will be publicized on our PR and social feeds and various of our members may choose to volunteer for your campaign at their own discretion. Lastly, you can mention our endorsement and use our logo on your own campaign materials. 

We have now finalized our endorsements for 2026. We intend to continue by  endorsing and supporting further candidates throughout RI in 2027 and onward. In future years, our goal is to cover more towns and cities across the state.

The process begins after candidates have submitted enough signatures to qualify to be on the ballot. It includes filling out an application form and partaking in an interview with a group of our members. Only candidates who apply can be considered for endorsement. 

If you are a candidate or potential future candidate who is interested in more information when we are ready to accept applications for your race, please let us know here.