David Segal (politician) - Political Career

Political Career

Segal's political career began in 2002, following his work as activist in support of a living-wage ordinance and a civilian review board to review accusations of police abuse. Segal ran as a Green for the Providence City Council and was elected to the Providence City Council, representing Ward One, with approximately 38% of the vote in a four-way general election. Segal was the first member of the Green Party to hold public office in Rhode Island and one of the youngest.

As City Council Minority Leader, Segal worked to pass legislation promoting social justice, affordable housing, and civil liberties. Segal pushed Providence to become the first state capital in the Union to commit to using large sums of renewable energy, and to become the first city to divest from the Darfur genocide.

Segal was chairman and founder of the federal political action committee Greens for Impact which helped steer the Green Party to endorse David Cobb rather than Ralph Nader, and ran a national media and direct-mail campaign in 2004, encouraging Greens and progressives in swing states to fight the re-election of George W. Bush by voting for John Kerry, and promoting electoral reform.

Following a party switch to the Democratic Party, Segal won the party primary election for state representative in Rhode Island House District 2 with 68.5 percent of the vote on September 12, 2006. Segal faced no partisan opposition on the November 7, 2006, state general election. Segal was re-elected in 2008, again winning 68.4% of the Democratic primary vote.

During his tenure in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, Segal was a member of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee as well as the Judiciary Committee. He previously served on the Corporations Committee. He has sponsored and overseen the passage of legislation promoting renewable energy and public transit, reform of the criminal justice system, progressive taxation, maintenance of social services, equitable school funding, and more. He was secretary of the House of Representatives' progressive caucus during the 2009-2010 sessions. The Providence Phoenix declared him "The Hippest Guy in State Government".

Segal ran for Congress in the 2010 elections for the Rhode Island First Congressional District seat being vacated by Patrick Kennedy. Segal lost in the four-way 14 September 2010 Democratic Party Primary to David Cicilline, garnering over 20% of the vote.