# Jay Edwards

Jay Edwards is a Democratic member of the Rhode Island House for district 70.

- Party: Democrat
- Seat: Rhode Island House, district 70
- Serving since: 2009-01-06
- Current term: RI 2025–26 session
- Open States ID: ocd-person/85b2ef21-1f02-4d9e-9f74-a40a2e942f7c

Source: https://americaspoliticalpulse.com/p/85b2ef21-1f02-4d9e-9f74-a40a2e942f7c (America’s Political Pulse, Polarization Research Lab), data through 2026-10-27. Data under CC BY 4.0. Cite as: Westwood, Sean J., and Yphtach Lelkes. 2024. America's Political Pulse [data set].

## Headline

Edwards missed 16% of 1,359 roll calls, attendance in the bottom tenth of the Rhode Island House (average 90.9%).

## Ideology (CSIP)

CSIP score −0.85 (standard error 0.03), from 232 donors and 961 roll calls. Negative is left of 0, positive right of it, on one scale for every official. 20% of State House Democrats score lower.

## Votes (RI 2025–26 session)

1,359 roll calls. Attendance 84% (Rhode Island House 90.9%). Party unity 93.5% (94.0%). 32 votes against the party majority.

Key votes:

- 2026-06-11 · voted yea · IN CONCURRENCE · HB 7377 AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- LOCAL CANVASSING AUTHORITIES · pass · https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/HB7377/
- 2026-06-11 · voted yea · PASSAGE OF AMENDMENT · HR 8351 JOINT RESOLUTION CREATING A SPECIAL JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY RHODE ISLAND'S EDUCATION FUNDING FORMULA AND EDUCATION FINANCE SYSTEM · pass · https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/HR8351/
- 2026-06-11 · voted yea · IN CONCURRENCE · SB 3358 AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF CRANSTON TO FINANCE THE ACQUISITION, IMPROVEMENT, RENOVATION AND REPAIR OF FIRE AND PUBLIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT BY THE… · pass · https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/SB3358/
- 2026-06-11 · voted yea · IN CONCURRENCE · SB 3259 AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- UNIFORM CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT · pass · https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/SB3259/
- 2026-06-11 · voted yea · IN CONCURRENCE · SR 3353 JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO PAY CERTAIN CLAIMS · pass · https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/SR3353/
- 2026-06-11 · voted yea · IN CONCURRENCE · SB 3290 AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE--COURTS -- SUPERIOR COURT · pass · https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/SB3290/
- 2026-06-11 · voted yea · PASSAGE OF AMENDMENT · SB 3066 AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- CHILDREN'S MOBILE RESPONSE AND STABILIZATION SERVICES · pass · https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/SB3066/
- 2026-06-11 · voted yea · IN CONCURRENCE · SB 3334 AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- THE RHODE ISLAND LIFE SCIENCE HUB ACT · pass · https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/SB3334/
- 2026-06-11 · voted yea · IN CONCURRENCE · SB 3333 AN ACT RELATING TO THE NORTH TIVERTON FIRE DISTRICT · pass · https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/SB3333/
- 2026-06-11 · voted yea · IN CONCURRENCE · SB 2733 AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- ARREST · pass · https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/SB2733/

## Legislation (RI 2025–26 session)

Sponsored 319 bills: 319 reached committee, 122 passed one chamber, 43 passed both, 43 became law. Cosponsored 0. 38.2% of sponsored bills got out of committee (Rhode Island House 39.5%; rank 33 of 74).

Recent sponsored bills:

- HR 8629: HOUSE RESOLUTION PROCLAIMING JULY 2026 AS "DISABILITY AWARENESS AND DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND (passed one chamber, 2026-06-11) https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/HR8629/
- HR 8616: HOUSE RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING "WORLD REFUGEE DAY" AND RECOGNIZING THE WORK OF DORCAS INTERNATIONAL OF PROVIDENCE ON JUNE 20TH OF 2026, IN THE STATE OF RHODE… (passed one chamber, 2026-06-04) https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/HR8616/
- HR 8596: HOUSE RESOLUTION THANKING AND COMMEMORATING THE GROUNDSKEEPERS AND MAINTENANCE STAFF OF THE RHODE ISLAND VETERANS MEMORIAL CEMETERY IN EXETER (passed one chamber, 2026-05-28) https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/HR8596/
- HR 8583: HOUSE RESOLUTION PROCLAIMING THE MONTH OF MAY 2026 AS "ASTHMA AND ALLERGY AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND (passed one chamber, 2026-05-26) https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/HR8583/
- HB 8580: AN ACT RELATING TO THE NORTH TIVERTON FIRE DISTRICT (became law, 2026-06-26) https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/HB8580/
- HR 8574: HOUSE RESOLUTION JOYOUSLY CELEBRATING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RHODE ISLAND HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON MAY 19TH, 2026 (passed one chamber, 2026-05-21) https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/HR8574/
- HB 8568: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- RHODE ISLAND PROGRAM TO ADDRESS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (passed one chamber, 2026-06-09) https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/HB8568/
- HR 8566: HOUSE RESOLUTION PROCLAIMING MAY OF 2026 TO BE "MOTORCYCLE AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND (passed one chamber, 2026-05-19) https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/HR8566/
- HR 8541: HOUSE RESOLUTION REAFFIRMING THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND TAIWAN WHILE SUPPORTING ENHANCED BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN AND… (passed one chamber, 2026-05-12) https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/HR8541/
- HB 8530: AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- SALES AND USE TAXES--LIABILITY AND COMPUTATION (in committee, 2026-05-19) https://openstates.org/ri/bills/2026/HB8530/

## Campaign money (2026 cycle)

Itemized receipts $19.5K (State House Democrats median $40.4K). 96% of itemized individual money came from in state. Aggregates only; no individual donors.

## Links

- Official site: https://www.rilegislature.gov/representatives/Edwards/Pages/Biography.aspx
- Campaign site: https://elect-jay.com/
- X: https://x.com/repjay70
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100058059760061
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-edwards-leed-ap-ab8486a/

Full profile, with every chart and the methods: https://americaspoliticalpulse.com/p/85b2ef21-1f02-4d9e-9f74-a40a2e942f7c