Kathleen A. Fogarty (born July 29, 1965) is an American politician currently serving as a Democratic member of the

Rhode Island House of Representatives The Rhode Island House of Representatives is the lower house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the upper house being the Rhode Island Senate. It is composed of 75 members, elected t ...

, representing the 35th House District since 2015.

Personal life

Fogarty was born in

Warwick, Rhode Island Warwick ( or ) is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, the third largest city in the state with a population of 82,823 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is located approximately south of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, sout ...

on July 29, 1965. She was raised in

Smithfield, Rhode Island Smithfield is a town that is located in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville. The population was 22,118 at the 2020 cen ...

graduated from

Smithfield High School Smithfield High School is a public high school located in Smithfield, Virginia in Isle of Wight County, south of Newport News and the James River. It is part of the Isle of Wight County Public Schools and graduated its first class in 1906. The sc ...

in 1983. Fogarty graduated from

Providence College Providence College is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic university in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1917 by the Dominican Order and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, local diocese, it offers 47 undergradua ...

in 1987, with a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in health service administration. Fogarty is married to Brendan J. Fogarty. They have two children, Brendan and Laura.

Political career

Fogarty first won election to the

South Kingstown South Kingstown is a town in, and the county seat of, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 31,931 at the 2020 census. South Kingstown is the second largest town in Rhode Island by total geographic area, behind New ...

Town Council in 2002. Fogarty was reelected four times, before choosing not to run again in 2012. Fogarty served as the Council's vice president from 2004 to 2008 and as the Council's president from 2008 to 2010. Fogarty was elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 2014, after defeating incumbent Representative Spencer Dickinson in the Democratic primaries. Fogarty currently sits on the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee and the House Health and Human Services Committee, as well as serving as the First Vice-Chair of the House Municipal Government and Housing Committee and the Chair of the House Special Legislation Committee.

Elections

* 2002 Fogarty was elected to the South Kingstown Town Council. * 2004 Fogarty placed second in the November 2, 2004 General election for the South Kingstown Town Council, receiving 6,115 votes (12.14%). * 2006 Fogarty placed third in the November 7, 2006 General election for the South Kingstown Town Council, receiving 6,432 votes (12.64%). * 2008 Fogarty placed first in the November 4, 2008 General election for the South Kingstown Town Council, receiving 7,515 votes (13.5%). * 2014 Fogarty challenged District 35 incumbent Democratic representative Spencer E. Dickinson in the September 9, 2010 Democratic primary, winning with 672 votes (51.3%) and won the November 4, 2014 General election with 2,113 votes (57.6%), defeating

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

nominee Lacey McGreevy. * 2016 Fogarty again defeated Spencer Dickinson in the September 13, 2016 Democratic Primary, winning with 584 votes (54.8%) and won the November 6, 2018 General election with 2,825 votes (57.7%), defeating

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

Bruce K. Waidler. * 2018 Fogarty was unopposed in the September 12, 2018 Democratic Primary, winning with 1,078 votes and won the November 6, 2018 General election with 3,003 votes (69.6%), defeating independent John Brandon Monk. * 2020 Fogarty defeated Spencer Dickinson a third time in the September 8, 2020 Democratic Primary, winning with 1,182 votes (75.7%) and won the November 3, 2020 General election unopposed with 4,386 votes (95.6%).

References

{{Rhode Island House of Representatives , state= collapsed 1965 births Living people Democratic Party members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives People from South Kingstown, Rhode Island Providence College alumni Women state legislators in Rhode Island 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians