Last minute call Wednesday put former state police major in hunt for Senate seat

PROVIDENCE — The political sands were still shifting on Thursday as Sen. Stephen Archambault dropped out and former state police Maj. David Tikoian acknowledged getting a call urging him to declare his own candidacy for Archambault's seat  just an hour and a half before the deadline.

And that wasn't all that was going on, on the day after  Wednesday afternoon's candidate declaration deadline.

Rhode Island Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Cienki exercised her power to name candidates in legislative districts where there were no GOP candidates.

By 4 p.m. on Thursday, three had come to light.

Rep. Jacqueline Baginski, a Democrat, is now facing a challenge from Republican Michael Larkin in House District 17 in Cranston. A second Cranston Democrat, Rep. Arthur Handy,  is now facing Republican Katherine Ortiz in House District 18.

Sen. Frank Lombardo now faces two challengers for his Senate District 25 seat in Johnston: former Sen. Christopher Maselli, who spent time in federal prison for bank fraud, and newly appointed Republican candidate Sandra Taylor.

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Archambault's announcement was not totally unexpected, despite this tweet on Monday: "Filed my paperwork for re-election to serve as state senator for District 22! Lots of walking ahead."

Rumors nonetheless persisted that Archambault – a culturally conservative Smithfield Democrat whose district was expanded, without clear explanation, to include a portion of Lincoln this year – intended to bow out of the Senate.

His explanation on Thursday for filing his paperwork to run on Monday and dropping out on Thursday:

"For the past several months I have been thinking about whether it was time to find a new way to give back to the community.

"But I love the Senate, and I went back and forth in my mind about whether to leave, to the point where I filed to run for reelection earlier this week.

"After continued prayer and personal reflection over the past few days – and countless additional conversations with my wife, Gigi – I have decided not to seek reelection this year."

What pushed him over the edge?

“I lost three older dogs in the past few months. Those dogs were like our children, and it has been a very difficult time for me and my family. That certainly impacted my decision. Ultimately, I decided that time is too fleeting, and quality family moments too precious. I need to spend more quality time with my family and find other ways to give back to my community.”

Archambault's move on the day after the candidate filing deadlineprovoked anger in some circles.

At "the Smithfield Dems meeting Mon. night he stood up and said he was running. He put his papers in as a coy, to shut out anyone ( mainly women) in our amazing town who would have filed...It was all a lie," Tweeted Smithfield Town Council President Suzy Alba.

"In Tennessee if the incumbent pulls this stunt they reopen the declaration period. It's call the 'Anti-Skullduggery Act'," Tweeted John Marion, executive director of Common Cause RI.

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Tikoian told The Journal he got a call around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday –  an hour and a half before the deadline for candidates to file – from Senate President Dominick Ruggerio's chief of staff Jake Bissaillon, letting him know Archambault was dropping out, and urging him to file to run for the seat.

He did. Quickly.

There are two other candidates in the Senate District 22 race who have both run for the seat at least once before, and in progressive Democrat Melanie Dupont's case, several times.

Dupont, who is allied with the Rhode Island Political Cooperative, was defeated 59.1% to 40.9% by Archambault in the 2020 Democratic primary. Republican Paul Santucci, a former Smithfield Town Council president, lost to Archambault on a 50.7% to 42.1% vote in a three-way general election race.

Democrat Tikoian, 53, retired in 2015 with the rank of major after 23 years in the Rhode Island State Police, including a stint on then-Gov. Lincoln Almond's executive security detail.

He did a three-year stint as a North Providence police chief, at the request of Mayor Charlie Lombardi at a time, Tikoian says, there were 38 pending grievances against the chief, a pending lawsuit, no contract and 100 pieces of missing evidence.

Tikoian said he told the mayor he would only take the job for a couple of years. But, he says, by the time he left, the department was in much better shape.

He is now the deputy general manager at the Providence Water Supply Board and a one-term Smithfield town councilman.

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Months earlier, amid speculation Archambault might not run again, Tikoian said he met with the Senate president – and subsequently Archambault – "just to say if there is any movement," he'd be interested in running.

As to where he stands on guns and abortion – two issues on which pro-gun, anti-abortion Archambault broke with the Senate leadership's push for passage of significant legislation – Tikoian said he needs a bit more time to learn what was actually up for a vote.

That said, his initial response to the ban on firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds was: why 10 rounds?

On a personal note, Tikoian recounted this story to the Armenian Weekly: "Then-RI Governor Donald L. Carcieri asked him one day in the car why he was always smiling. 'Do you know how lucky I am to be here?' Tikoian replied.

“My grandmother and grandfather were orphans. They survived the [Armenian] Genocide and came to the United States as orphans. If they didn’t survive, you wouldn’t have David sitting in the car next to you, so why wouldn’t I be happy? I’m just happy to be here,” he explained.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Shifting sands the day after RI candidate declaration deadline