In The News
Segal calls for renegotiating NAFTA
ProJo Blog, September 6
David Segal, a candidate for Congress in the Democratic primary for District One, marked Labor Day Monday by pledging to work for renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and other trade agreements that have cost thousands of Americans their jobs.
“Just like labor and environmental advocates warned, trade agreements like NAFTA have proven to be a raw deal for the American people,” Segal said. “Rhode Islanders have lost 4,482 jobs to NAFTA alone.”
Segal said he would sign on as co-sponsor of the TRADE Act, which would require renegotiation of the trade agreements, which he said are the direct result of the “obscene power” that corporations wield over the government.
Progressives find Segal inspiring
Providence Journal, September 2
As a city councilman, Segal led a group that successfully sued Mayor David N. Cicilline, a fellow Democrat, charging that he had refused to hold developers to their promises of hiring local residents for city projects in exchange for tax breaks. As a state representative, Segal fought to raise the minimum wage, prevent home foreclosures and challenged his own party’s leaders in the House to press harder against Governor Carcieri’s proposed cuts in aid to local communities.
Segal endorsed by Congressional Progressive Caucus
Providence Journal, August 31
A political action committee made up of Congressional Democrats who consider themselves to be progressives has endorsed David A. Segal in the state’s 1st Congressional District race.
The Segal campaign said Tuesday that the endorsement by the 83-member Congressional Progressive Caucus “serves as a vote of confidence from the progressives currently serving in Congress that David Segal is the candidate in this race best suited to fight for our working families.”
Segal makes his run for Congress
WRNI, August 31
“It’s a travesty that we don’t see more action and support of jobs and support of economic recovery coming from Congress,” he says, “and people who will be there to fight for an economic recovery that actually works for working people.”
The healthcare workers of SEIU endorse Segal’s congressional run and say they’re ready to work on his behalf. Labor and delivery nurse Sukie Ream points to Segal’s support for union rights and against mandatory overtime for nurses. “It’s just been a wonderful feeling to have you as a partner in so many of our issues over the past eight years or so,” she says. “You are truly a champion for our issues, and I can’t wait to go door-knocking for you.”
Segal picks up endorsement from progressive PAC
Providence Journal, August 24
Congressional candidate David A. Segal picked up an endorsement Monday from Democracy for America, a progressive political action committee that claims more than a million members nationwide.
“David is an activist at heart — working closely with his colleagues to craft progressive legislation and pass it into law,” the organization’s chair, Jim Dean, said in a news release announcing the endorsement. “His experience and record speaks for itself.”
Two largest state employees unions make endorsements
Providence Journal, August 19
Candidate endorsements have started to flow out of the two largest state employee unions, and all of the winners so far have been Democrats, including state Rep. David Segal, one of four Democrats seeking to replace the departing Patrick J. Kennedy as Rhode Island’s 1st District congressman.
The liberal-leaning Segal snagged endorsements from Council 94, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, and the state council of the Service Employees International Union, which represents both state workers and private-hospital employees.
Council 94, DFA endorse Segal
WRNI Politics Blog, August 18
One of the wild cards in the CD1 race is whether David Segal’s support among labor and progressive activists can tip the conventional wisdom favoring perceived frontrunner David Cicilline.
Segal, adding to his previous plaudits from the AFT and SEIU, has picked up endorsements from AFSCME’s Council 94 (the largest state workers’ union)and Democracy for America. He also gained the imprimatur of SEIU’s state council, encompassing five union locals – some of whose membership overlaps with the previous SEIU endorsement, according to campaign manager Rachel Miller.
Candidates tussle over TV ad
WPRO News, August 16
One candidate in the Democratic race for Congress in the first district calls on another to pull a TV ad off the air. David Segal claims he and others had to sue David Cicilline and the city of Providence to implement a jobs ordinance that gives hiring preference to Providence residents. Cicilline is airing a TV ad that highlights the program, and is refusing Segal’s call that he discontinue running the ad.
Segal asks Cicilline to stop running ad
Providence Journal, August 14
First Congressional District candidate David A. Segal is calling on one of his opponents, Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, to pull one of his television ads, saying it is “obscene” that Cicilline would take credit for a jobs plan that Segal and others had to sue the mayor to implement.
Segal raps Cicilline on credit for jobs program
WRNI Politics Blog, August 13
David Segal is criticizing rival CD1 Democrat David Cicilline for taking credit in a campaign commercial for a jobs program that was implemented after Segal, then a city councilor, and others took the Cicilline administration to court.
Segal pushes jobs plan
Newport Daily News, August 5
With a 10 mph wind propelling the town’s wind turbine blades above him on Wednesday, congressional candidate David A. Segal promoted his plan to increase green-energy jobs as a way to provide a stimulus to working Americans.
Healthcare workers’ union endorses Segal for Congress
Providence Journal, August 5
The healthcare workers’ union District1199SEIU, NEHCEU on Thursday endorsed state Rep. David Segal in his congressional campaign in Rhode Island’s First District.
Segal wins backing of SEIU, District 1199NE
WRNI Politics Blog, August 5
Service Employees International Union, District 1199, the New England Healthcare Employees Union, presented its endorsement this afternoon to First Congressional District candidate David Segal. The local represents about 4000 workers in Rhode Island.
Congressional candidate Segal pitches jobs plan
Providence Journal, August 4
First District congressional candidate David A. Segal announced a multi-pronged jobs plan Tuesday that calls on Congress to do more to help small businesses while it also invests more in green energy, public transportation, education and other areas that could stimulate the economy.
Progressive Democrats endorse Segal
WRNI Politics Blog, July 30
Not particularly surprising, but this might help David Segal a bit in his efforts to raise national money.
Segal gets AFT endorsement
WRNI Politics Blog, July 26
David Segal’s insurgent First Congressional District campaign has gained a noteworthy endorsement.
House candidate Segal would limit corporate funding
Providence Journal, July 21
Congressional candidate David A. Segal brought his campaign to downtown Providence on Tuesday to pledge support for legislation that would limit corporate donations and make public money available to candidates for Congress.
Congressional hopeful Segal wins progressives’ endorsement
Projo Politics Blog, July 21
First District Congressional candidate David A. Segal picked up an endorsement Monday from the Rhode Island Progressive Democrats of America, taking the nod over fellow Democrat William J. Lynch on the basis of what the group said is a “profound and thoughtful understanding of progressive issues.”
Civil First CD 1 Debate
WRNI Politics Blog, July 13
The four candidates for the first District Democratic U.S. House nomination differed only in minor ways on major issues at the televised forum held Tuesday evening at the Providence Performing Arts Center and televised on Channel 12. It was a joust that featured more rhetoric than rancor.
Democratic candidates for 1st District debate in Providence
Providence Journal, July 13
Four ambitious Democrats sparred publicly for the first time Tuesday night, each fighting on live television to convince a skeptical Rhode Island electorate that he is the best replacement for the retiring political icon Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy.
Now entering stage left, a populist
Providence Journal, May 30
If it was up to the young crowd at Wednesday night’s Drinking Liberally event, Democratic state Rep. David A. Segal would undoubtedly be the next congressman from the great state of Rhode Island.
Segal in the lotus position
WRNI Politics Blog, May 27
Just a brief note here, since we posted earlier in the week about David Segal’s insurgent congressional run. A signature moment in the candidate’s Drinking Liberally appearance last night: he held an earlier impromptu news conference, sitting with legs crossed — almost in a classic yoga position – on a generator outside the Wild Colonial, taking questions from the ProJo’s Ed Fitzpatrick, the Boston Globe’s Mark Arsenault (in town from DC to report an imminent story on the CD1 race), the AP’s Michelle Smith, and myself. A supporter brought Segal a beer, but he ignored it, holding forth while clad in a blue blazer and red tie.
In response to the central question of how he’ll fare against establishment Democrats like David Cicilline and Bill Lynch, Segal repeatedly characterized himself as more of a fighter against powerful interests and for working families. As an example, he pointed to how he and fellow progs successfully fought last year for more aid to cities and towns.
Segal on the march
WRNI Politics Blog, May 25
A somewhat uninformed story in Roll Call dismisses David Segal’s chances in the First Congressional District race for the seat now held by Patrick Kennedy. Yet with conservative Democrat Anthony Gemma reportedly gearing up to enter the fight, Segal shows some early signs of an ability to exceed expectations.
Democrat Segal joins race for Congress
Providence Journal, May 13
Two-term state Rep. David Segal has now officially jumped into the Democratic primary race to succeed Patrick J. Kennedy as Rhode Island’s 1st District congressman.
A Democrat from Providence, Segal, 30, made the announcement outside the Taunton Avenue branch of Bank of America as a “sober reminder that too many working families have been let down in recent years by powerful institutions that they once trusted … Even as taxpayers bailed out Wall Street banks, like Bank of America, credit-card rates went through the roof and homes that families lived in for a lifetime were foreclosed upon.”
State Rep. Segal to announce bid for Congressional seat
Providence Journal, May 11
The Democratic primary race to succeed Patrick J. Kennedy in Congress just got a little more crowded with state Rep. David Segal’s decision to compete for the liberal-wing of the party.
Segal confirmed his decision to run late Monday, in the same week a House committee is poised to hold a hearing on his bill seeking the withdrawal of the Rhode Island National Guard from Iraq, and the full House is slated to vote on his attempt to add crimes “motivated by prejudice against a person who is homeless” to the state’s list of hate crimes.
A member of the “Progressive Caucus” in the House, the 30-year-old Segal said he decided to run for the seat Kennedy is vacating because “we need to do more for working families in Rhode Island.”