Gregg Amore: Faith in Democracy

Gregg Amore is the Rhode Island Secretary of State.

The Secretary of State is the state’s third-ranking elected official, following the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. State law gives the Secretary of State many different duties, including serving as Rhode Island’s chief elections officer. The secretary registers voters, prepares ballots, and administers oaths of office.

I spoke with Secretary Amore on a recent episode of the Fulcrum Democracy Forum (FDF). The program engages citizens in evolving government to better meet all people's needs. Consistent with the Fulcrum's mission, FDF strives to share many perspectives to widen our audience's viewpoints.

I met him while recording an episode of The 50, a four-year multimedia project that visits the public where they live across all 50 states to learn what motivated them to vote in the 2024 presidential election and see how the Donald Trump administration is meeting those concerns and hopes.

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Providence, Rhode Island, founded in 1636, is one of the oldest cities in New England and one of the first cities in the country to industrialize, noted for its textile manufacturing and subsequent machine tool, jewelry, and silverware industries.

A deeply blue state, Vice President Kamala Harris won the Ocean State comfortably in the 2024 presidential election, including every county. Harris’s strongest showing was in Providence, where more than 73% of voters backed the Democratic nominee.

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Despite the loss, Donald Trump decreased his margin of defeat by 7% compared to 2020. Trump improved his margin of support to varying degrees in all 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island.

Amore, a Democrat, said he has spoken to many people who voted for Trump due to concerns about the cost of rent, food, and their healthcare challenges, and that some have expressed regrets. "There's some buyer's remorse here because the focus has not been on kitchen table economic issues," he said.

Secretary Amore hosts the Rhode Island Civic Leadership Program, which State Representative Chippendale has participated in. The immersive, year-long nonpartisan initiative is designed to connect high school students to their government and build skills and habits that foster lifelong civic engagement.

Amore graduated from East Providence High School in 1984 before continuing his education at Providence College, earning a bachelor’s degree in history in 1988. In 2010, he earned a master’s degree in public policy from New England College.

He taught Advanced Placement United States History and United States Civics and Government courses at East Providence High School for twenty-seven years and was recognized as the Rhode Island History Teacher of the Year by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2008.

Committed to public service, Gregg ran for State Representative in 2012 and served the residents of East Providence with distinction for ten years. During his time in office, he served as a Deputy Majority Leader, chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, chairman of the House Finance Subcommittee on Education, and second vice chair of the House Committee on Education. He has also served as a member of the House Committee on Finance, the House Committee on Municipal Government, and the House Committee on Innovation, Internet and Technology.

Amore is a proud lifelong resident of East Providence, where he has been a teacher, coach, and community volunteer for over thirty years. He is married and has two daughters.

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Hugo Balta is the executive editor of the Fulcrum and a board member of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund, the parent organization of The Fulcrum. He is the publisher of the Latino News Network and an accredited Solutions Journalism and Complicating the Narratives trainer with the Solutions Journalism Network.