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2020鈥檚 KEY EDUCATION VOTES:聽See our full coverage of聽the 46 races that could reshape America鈥檚 schools聽following Election聽Day 鈥� and get the latest updates on state policies and students鈥� challenges during the pandemic by signing up for聽蜜桃影视 Newsletter.

A Republican political newcomer outpolled Rhode Island鈥檚 powerful Democratic House speaker, but it鈥檚 progressives in the state who are celebrating.

Speaker Nicholas Mattiello has long been an obstacle to progressive legislation in the Ocean State, including greater education funding. Because of a quirk in Rhode Island鈥檚 constitution, all bills that come to the House floor must first receive Mattiello鈥檚 stamp of approval. To the ire of many within his party, the speaker has frequently used his power to from coming to a vote.

This evening, the Associated Press in favor of GOP challenger Barbara Fenton-Fung, though Mattiello had yet to concede and some local outlets said it鈥檚 the race with as many as 2,632 mail ballots and 1,794 early in-person votes yet to be counted. Votes cast in person on Election Day showed Fenton-Fung with a 1,198-vote lead, carrying 65 percent of the vote compared to 34 percent for Mattiello, according to the state Board of Elections.

The Providence Journal reported that it鈥檚 been since a sitting House speaker lost an election in his home district.

Democrats currently control 66 of the 75 seats in the state House of Representatives, which means the loss does not threaten the party鈥檚 hold on the chamber. It does, however, open the door to a change in House leadership. That鈥檚 why progressives in the union鈥檚 smallest state celebrated Mattiello鈥檚 defeat.

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Thanks in part to Mattiello鈥檚 strict reign, the state still has a . If new state House leadership brought a change to that code, it would send additional dollars to schools.

Such a change would have important ramifications for education in Rhode Island, where last year the state , its largest district.

Peder Schaefer, a Rhode Island native who worked this year as an organizer with the local chapter to elect progressives across the state, believes schools may directly benefit as a result of this contest.

鈥淎 more progressive general Assembly, which all the budget bills come out of, would lead to more funding for education,鈥� speculates Schaefer.

2020鈥檚 KEY EDUCATION VOTES:聽See our full coverage of聽the 46 races that could reshape America鈥檚 schools聽following Election聽Day 鈥� and get the latest updates on state policies and students鈥� challenges during the pandemic by signing up for聽蜜桃影视 Newsletter.听

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