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Patricia Morgan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Rhode Island legislator. For the English educator, see Patricia Morgan-Webb. For the character, see List of Home and Away characters (2002) § Others. For the American transgender pioneer, see Patricia Morgan (transgender woman).
Patricia Morgan
Minority Leader of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
In office
January 7, 2017 – October 4, 2018
Preceded byBrian Newberry
Succeeded byBlake Filippi
Member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
from the 26th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2021
Preceded byJames Jackson
In office
January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2019
Preceded byWilliam Murphy
Succeeded byJames Jackson
Personal details
Born
Patricia Lazar[1]

(1950-08-25) August 25, 1950 (age 74)
Ohio, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationMississippi State University
Kent State University (BA)
Rhode Island College (MEd)

Patricia L. Morgan[2] (born August 25, 1950) is an American politician and Republican member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives representing district 26 since 2021.[3] She formerly represented district 26 from 2011 until 2019, where she chose not to run again. She became the first female minority leader of the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 2017, after she was chosen by the Republican caucus members on November 15, 2016, when former minority leader Brian Newberry stepped down from the position.[4]

Morgan ran for Governor of Rhode Island in the 2018 election.[5] She lost the primary to Cranston Mayor and 2014 Republican candidate Allan Fung.

In 2020, Morgan ran for the state House of Representatives again and unseated incumbent Democrat James Jackson.[6] In 2024, she won the Republican primary for Rhode Island's Class I U.S. Senate seat, and will face Democratic incumbent Sheldon Whitehouse in the general election.[7]

Early life

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Morgan was one of three daughters of Thomas Lazar, a Polish-American World War II veteran, and Doris Lane, a war bride from England. They had married in 1944. In 1958, her father changed his surname to Lane because he'd been bullied as a child over his heritage and didn't want his daughters to suffer the same experience. She grew up in Canal Fulton, Ohio, the youngest of three daughters. She graduated class valedictorian from Northwest High School. She then married her boyfriend, Bernie Mulligan, who was a Navy aviator.[8]

Education

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Morgan attended Mississippi State University, earned her BA degree from Kent State University, where she witnessed the Kent State Shootings in 1970, her MEd from Rhode Island College, and principal's certificate from Providence College.[9]

Career

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After graduating from college, she worked as a special education teacher for several years. She moved to Rhode Island when her husband was stationed there in 1976. She resumed her teaching career in 1985. After a decade of teaching there, she joined the firm of Salomon Smith Barney as a financial advisor.[10]

Elections

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  • 2004 To challenge District 26 incumbent Representative Murphy, Morgan was unopposed for the 2004 Republican Primary, but lost to the November 2, 2004 General election to Representative Murphy.[11]
  • 2010 When Democratic Representative William Murphy retired and left the seat open, Morgan was unopposed for the September 23, 2010 Republican Primary, winning with 220 votes[12] and won the November 2, 2010 General election by 90 votes with 2,239 votes (51%) against Democratic nominee Michael Senerchia.[13]
  • 2012 Morgan was unopposed for the September 11, 2012 Republican Primary, winning with 129 votes[14] and won the November 6, 2012 General election with 2,849 votes (52.1%) against Democratic nominee Nicholas Denice.[15]
  • 2014 Morgan was unopposed for the September 9, 2014 Republican Primary, winning with 376 votes[16] and won the November 4, 2014 General election with 2,104 votes (50.1%) against Democratic nominee Nicholas Denice who had 1,816 votes (43.2%) and Moderate Paul Caianiello Jr. who had 275 votes (6.6%).[17]
  • 2016 Morgan was unopposed for the September 13, 2016 Republican Primary and won the November 8, 2016 General election with 3,192 votes (55.2%) against Democratic nominee Anthony J. Paolino who had 2,079 votes (35.9%) and Independent Vincent Marzullo who had 504 votes (8.7%).[18]

Controversies

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Morgan complained on 28 December 2021 via Twitter that a friendship she had with an African American friend had become "hostile and unpleasant." Morgan largely attributed this hostility to efforts by teachers and the political left's support for critical race theory.[19][20][21] Her tweet has been condemned by both Democrats and the GOP, and the BLM RI PAC, the political arm of the Black Lives Matter movement in Rhode Island, has called for her removal from committee assignments in the RI General Assembly.[22]

References

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  1. ^ "War stories: Patricia Morgan's family legacy drives her resolute support of veterans".
  2. ^ "Patricia Morgan's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  3. ^ "State of Rhode Island General Assembly". www.rilegislature.gov. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  4. ^ Anderson, Patrick (November 16, 2016). "GOP Rep. Patricia Morgan becomes first woman elected R.I. House minority leader". The Providence Journal. Providence, Rhode Island. Archived from the original on 24 June 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  5. ^ "Patricia Morgan first to formally announce 2018 run for RI governor". WPRI 12. October 23, 2017. Archived from the original on December 23, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  6. ^ "James Jackson (Rhode Island)".
  7. ^ NEWS, NBC 10 (2024-09-10). "Whitehouse wins Democratic nomination for US Senate, will face Republican Morgan". WJAR. Retrieved 2024-10-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "War stories: Patricia Morgan's family legacy drives her resolute support of veterans".
  9. ^ "Meet Patricia". www.patriciaforri.com. Archived from the original on 2018-02-25. Retrieved 2018-02-25.
  10. ^ "War stories: Patricia Morgan's family legacy drives her resolute support of veterans".
  11. ^ "State Representatives by District". State of Rhode Island Election Results. Rhode Island Board of Elections. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  12. ^ "2010 Statewide Primary, Representative in General Assembly District 26". Providence, Rhode Island: Secretary of State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on March 3, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  13. ^ "2010 General Election, Representative in General Assembly District 26". Providence, Rhode Island: Secretary of State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on March 3, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  14. ^ "2012 Statewide Primary, Representative in General Assembly District 26". Providence, Rhode Island: Secretary of State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on November 26, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  15. ^ "2012 General Election, Representative in General Assembly District 26". Providence, Rhode Island: Secretary of State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on March 3, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  16. ^ "2014 Statewide Primary, Representative in General Assembly District 26". Providence, Rhode Island: Secretary of State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on July 21, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  17. ^ "2014 General Election, Representative in General Assembly District 26". Providence, Rhode Island: Secretary of State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  18. ^ "2016 General Election, Representative in General Assembly District 26". Providence, Rhode Island: Secretary of State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  19. ^ Morgan, Patricia [@repmorgan] (December 28, 2021). "I had a black friend. I liked her and I think she liked me, too. But now she is hostile and unpleasant. I am sure I didn't do anything to her, except be white. Is that what teachers and our political leaders really want for our society? Divide us because of our skin color? #CRT" (Tweet). Archived from the original on December 28, 2021 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ Borg, Linda (December 28, 2021). "Rep. Morgan lights up Twitter with a racially charged comment". The Providence Journal. Providence, Rhode Island. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  21. ^ "R.I. representative slammed for tweeting she lost 'a black friend' to critical race theory". The Boston Globe. December 28, 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-12-29. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  22. ^ "GOP lawmaker Patricia Morgan under fire for saying she lost a Black friend to critical race theory". The Washington Post. December 29, 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
[edit]
Rhode Island House of Representatives
Preceded by Minority Leader of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
2017–2018 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Rhode Island
(Class 1)
2024 		Most recent
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