'I couldn't be on the sidelines': Conley plans primary challenge to Langevin

Johnston assistant town solicitor Dylan Conley announced recently that he will run for Congress in Rhode Island’s Second District, a seat held by U.S. Rep. James Langevin since 2001.

Conley, 33, spoke about his decision – which was first reported by the Boston Globe – during a phone call with the Sun Rise on Wednesday morning. He said that he “couldn’t be on the sidelines” anymore as the country undergoes cultural and political change amid both the coronavirus pandemic and recent nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

“The biggest thing for me from the 10,000-foot view was, right now America is starting to go into a once-in-a-generation shift, in terms of culture, in terms of politics, that I think is going to reshape the rest of my future – certainly the rest of my son’s future,” Conley, who will run as a Democrat, said. “I couldn’t be on the sidelines. I felt absolutely compelled to make sure that our voice, the voice of the people whose future is being controlled by this moment, needs to participate and be at the table.”

Conley, who works with his father William J. Conley at his law firm, also serves as the chair of Providence Board of Licenses and assistant solicitor for East Providence, according to the Conley Law website.

Conley said that he greatly respects Langevin, but said Congress needs “new blood” as “the system is collapsing around us.”

“I really think I can be a conduit for all sorts of Rhode Islanders, all sorts of people,” Conley said. “People that haven’t traditionally engaged directly at the congressional level, or been able to engage directly at the congressional level, and that’s what I intend to do.”

Langevin has never faced much of a reelection challenge across his 20 years in office. In 2018, he cruised to victory over Republican challenger Salvatore Caiozzo by more than 27 points. Langevin hasn’t faced a primary since 2016, when he nearly doubled the vote total of Steven Archer and John Hamilton.

“Congressman Langevin is laser-focused on unifying Rhode Islanders, keeping communities safe and healthy, and boosting our state's recovery efforts as we get through these trying times together,” Langevin campaign manager Mike DeAngelis said in a statement. “He has always fought for the people of Rhode Island and will continue to do so.”

The closest any opponent has come to defeating Langevin was in 2012, when Republican Michael J. Riley could only get with 23 points of the incumbent.

“I think incumbents normally have an upper hand, but not in this case,” Conley said. “This is truly a once-in-a-generation moment. The energy is palpable. People are demanding that we rebuild the system so that it benefits every American and this is a case where incumbency is an anchor and not a benefit.”

While he said he was at first “fearful and concerned” at the current state of affairs, Conley said the country has a chance to rebuild and reform, and new leadership can be a stepping stone toward that goal.

“The structural racism that’s at the heart of the Black Lives Matter protest is not a new issue, so why is it coming to a head right now, in this way?” Conley said. “It’s because we have the power to change it.”

Conley said if he were elected, one of his first initiatives would be shifting toward more long-term remedies as the pandemic continues to send shockwaves through the economy. He lauded the state’s response thus far, but criticized the federal government for not having a more concrete plan in place to contain such an event.

“I think we need to be much more cognizant of what it’s like to be in the middle class in America, what it’s like to be born in a ZIP code where your outlook seems doomed before you even walk. We need to realize that the chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and we need to kind of take a look at how the economy functions for every American and not just the investor class,” Conley said.

Conley’s candidacy is his way of putting words into action, too. He said that, in his conversations with younger folks, most of them say that just voting isn’t enough to enact change.

He said he hopes to film his run and use it in the future to teach other aspiring candidates, no matter the level of office, in case they would like to follow the same path.

“I think people believe you can’t run for office unless you’ve got a ton of money, and you’ve been an utterly flawless angel of a human being your entire life, or you have to be deeply connected – and that’s not how it works,” Conley said. “That’s not how democracy works. Democracy is built on the strength of competition and participation. The fewer people that participate, the worse off we are.”

He said establishing a “meaningful dialogue” with the community will be a critical component of the campaign, using social media to allow for more interaction.

“We want people to be able to reach out directly to us. We’ve got a big team. We’re working together to build a platform,” Conley said. “What our campaign will look like, is a sincere and direct dialogue with the people interested in the outcome.”

Dylan Conley