U.S. House, Rhode Island 1st Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated October 6, 2026

Who should I vote for in Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District?

Gabe Amo has the strongest record in Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District. Gabe Amo scores 67 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Gabe Amo's highest marks are command of the job and showing up. Pedro DeSouza (5 of 15 criteria) and Kellie Keenan (5 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.

Democratic · incumbent

Strongest record

Gabe Amo

67 / 100

Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria

Character: 60
Qualifications: 75
Performance: 67

Campaign site Official office FEC filings

Independent

Pedro DeSouza

Not enough public record for a score

Public evidence on 5 of 15 criteria

Character: 50
Qualifications: 50
Performance: NR

Campaign site FEC filings

Republican

Kellie Keenan

Not enough public record for a score

Public evidence on 5 of 15 criteria

Character: NR
Qualifications: 55
Performance: NR

Campaign site FEC filings

The good, the bad and the unresolved

The record

The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.

Gabe Amo

On the record2025-02
Voted with Republicans and against Democratic Leader Jeffries on the HALT Fentanyl Act, which passed the House.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 33, 2025
On the record2023-11-07
Took office after winning the November 2023 special election to succeed David Cicilline.
Source: GovTrack, Gabe Amo
Credit2025-04-03
Hosted an open town hall in Riverside with Attorney General Peter Neronha attended by nearly 500 people.
Source: East Bay RI, April 4, 2025

Pedro DeSouza

No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.

Kellie Keenan

No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.

Who they are

Character

Integrity

Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.

2 / 4

Gabe Amo. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 is on file with the House Clerk, filed May 14, 2026. No periodic transaction reports, House Ethics matter or FEC administrative fine found.

Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076093, FEC administrative fines search

2 / 4

Pedro DeSouza. Filed a House candidate financial disclosure on June 25, 2026. No FEC financial activity is posted for his committee and no official finding was found.

Source: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10081068

Kellie Keenan. No public record found.

Courage

Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.

3 / 4

Gabe Amo. Voted against Democratic Leader Jeffries and most Democrats in 2025 on the HALT Fentanyl Act and a disapproval resolution, and in 2026 on the Affordable HOMES Act and a 2026 appropriations bill.

Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 33, 2025, HALT Fentanyl Act, House Clerk Roll Call 71, 2025, H.J.Res. 25, House Clerk Roll Call 12, 2026, Affordable HOMES Act

Pedro DeSouza. No public record found.

Kellie Keenan. No public record found.

Accountability

Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.

3 / 4

Gabe Amo. Held an open town hall with the attorney general in Riverside in April 2025 attended by nearly 500 people, and joined Rhode Island's senators at a Portsmouth town hall that month. No 2026 general election debate record found.

Sources: East Bay RI, April 4, 2025, East Bay RI, April 22, 2025

Pedro DeSouza. No public record found.

Kellie Keenan. No public record found.

Temperament and judgment

Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.

2 / 4

Gabe Amo. Worked in the Obama and Biden White Houses and for Gov. Gina Raimondo before entering the House in November 2023. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics finding found.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Gabe Amo, House Committee on Ethics site search

Pedro DeSouza. No public record found.

Kellie Keenan. No public record found.

Fidelity to the oath

Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.

2 / 4

Gabe Amo. Has held sworn federal office since November 2023, after the January 2021 electoral count. No official finding of misuse of office found.

Source: GovTrack, Gabe Amo

Pedro DeSouza. No public record found.

Kellie Keenan. No public record found.

What they bring

Qualifications

Relevant experience

Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.

3 / 4

Gabe Amo. Deputy director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs until April 2023 and in the U.S. House since November 2023; has not yet completed a full House term.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Gabe Amo, GovTrack, Gabe Amo

2 / 4

Pedro DeSouza. Owns a Woonsocket pressure washing company and describes himself as a data professional. Has not held public office.

Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10081068, Campaign site

2 / 4

Kellie Keenan. Says she has worked more than a decade in health care and community programs and owns a small business; holds a public health management certificate. Has not held public office.

Source: Ballotpedia, Kellie Keenan

Command of the job

Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.

4 / 4

Gabe Amo. Ranking member of the Science Committee's Environment subcommittee, also on Budget and Foreign Affairs; publishes issue pages on the economy, education, energy, health and veterans.

Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Office site, home page

2 / 4

Pedro DeSouza. Publishes positions on housing, cost of living, health care and utilities, with some specifics such as limiting Wall Street purchases of single-family homes.

Source: Campaign site

3 / 4

Kellie Keenan. Publishes a platform with specific items, such as permitting reform, a parental bill of rights, opt-in policies for non-core curriculum and child welfare placement changes.

Sources: Campaign site, Ballotpedia, Kellie Keenan

Communication

Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.

3 / 4

Gabe Amo. Offers a newsletter, publishes issue pages and holds open town halls. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey; completed it in 2023.

Sources: Office site, home page, Ballotpedia, Gabe Amo

2 / 4

Pedro DeSouza. Publishes plain-language issue pages. No questionnaire answers found.

Source: Campaign site

2 / 4

Kellie Keenan. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey and publishes an issues platform.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Kellie Keenan, Campaign site

Roots in the constituency

Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.

3 / 4

Gabe Amo. Pawtucket native who attended school in Providence; his FEC record lists Providence. FEC by-state totals show about 47 percent of itemized individual contributions from Rhode Island.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Gabe Amo, FEC contribution totals by state

2 / 4

Pedro DeSouza. His FEC record lists Woonsocket, which is in the 1st District, and his business is based there.

Sources: FEC contribution totals by state, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10081068

2 / 4

Kellie Keenan. Her FEC record lists a Providence address. FEC by-state totals show $2,000 of $2,250 in itemized individual contributions from Rhode Island.

Source: FEC contribution totals by state

Management

Can build and run an organization.

2 / 4

Gabe Amo. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through Aug. 20, 2026, with no debts. No FEC administrative fine found.

Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search

Pedro DeSouza. No public record found.

2 / 4

Kellie Keenan. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through Aug. 20, 2026, showing $8,100 in debts. No FEC administrative fine found.

Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search

What they deliver

Performance

Results

Turns ideas into outcomes.

1 / 4

Gabe Amo. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.019 in the 118th Congress, his partial first term, against a benchmark of 0.522, below expectations. GovTrack lists no enacted bill he sponsored.

Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress

Pedro DeSouza. No public record found.

Kellie Keenan. No public record found.

Showing up

Does the basic work of the job.

4 / 4

Gabe Amo. Missed 4 of 1,274 roll call votes, 0.3 percent, from November 2023 to September 2026.

Source: GovTrack, missed votes

Pedro DeSouza. No public record found.

Kellie Keenan. No public record found.

Constituent service

Solves problems for the people they represent.

3 / 4

Gabe Amo. Runs a district office at 10 Charles Street in Providence and holds open town halls. No published casework totals found.

Sources: Office site, home page, East Bay RI, April 4, 2025

Pedro DeSouza. No public record found.

Kellie Keenan. No public record found.

Coalition building

Wins support beyond their own faction.

Gabe Amo. No public record found.

Pedro DeSouza. No public record found.

Kellie Keenan. No public record found.

Stewardship of public money

Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.

Gabe Amo. No public record found.

Pedro DeSouza. No public record found.

Kellie Keenan. No public record found.

How to read this

Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.

A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.

No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.

Questions

Who should I vote for in Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District?

Who is running in Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District in 2026?

Gabe Amo (Democratic, incumbent), Pedro DeSouza (Independent), Kellie Keenan (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.

Is Gabe Amo a good candidate for Congress?

Gabe Amo scores 67 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 60 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 67 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.

Is Pedro DeSouza a good candidate for Congress?

Pedro DeSouza has public evidence on 5 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.

Is Kellie Keenan a good candidate for Congress?

Kellie Keenan has public evidence on 5 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.

How is the strongest record decided?

The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.

More on this race: every Rhode Island race scored, and the Rhode Island 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.