Rep. Sandra Cano, a Pawtucket Democrat, listens during a meeting of the Senate Finance Committee at the Rhode Island State House on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Will Steinfeld/Rhode Island Current)
Rhode Island Sen. Sandra Cano resigned from office and ended her reelection campaign Thursday, citing a new, unspecified opportunity.
Cano has represented Pawtucket’s District 18 since 2018, and served as the first Latina chair of the Senate Education Committee. Health care and education reforms, including a financial literacy program in public high schools and expanded insurance coverage for fertility treatments, are among the key legislative wins she cited in a resignation letter to Senate President Dominick Ruggerio and Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore.
“When I reflect upon the progress we have made, I am filled with gratitude for the dedication and collaboration of countless colleagues in government, community advocates, and members of the public, who have all worked tirelessly to bring about positive change,” Cano wrote. “Representing the people of Pawtucket in the Senate has been the honor of my lifetime. I hope and believe that I was able to bring about impactful change through my service, and I look forward to continuing to contribute to building stronger communities in new ways in the future.”
Her letter did not offer any details about the “new opportunity” except that it required her to resign from elected office and not seek reelection.
Cano did not immediately return calls for comment Thursday.
Rumors swirling around Smith Hill suggest Cano might be in the running for job as New England regional administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration, though Cano denied this when speaking to The Boston Globe Rhode Island’s Dan McGowan. The presidentially-appointed post is currently vacant.
Cano, who works as commerce director for the city of Pawtucket, was poised to face independent challenger Cathyann Palocsik in the November general election. She was unopposed in the primary.
Under state law, the Rhode Island Democratic State Committee has until 4 p.m. Friday to name a new candidate for the November race.
Liz Beretta-Perik, state party chair, was not immediately available to comment Thursday.
Ruggerio in a statement Thursday thanked Cano for her service.
“Senator Sandra Cano has been a valued member of my leadership team,” Ruggerio said. “She has earned the respect of all her colleagues through her wisdom, tenacity, and passion. The indefatigable advocacy she brought to the Senate has made an extraordinary impact that will benefit Rhode Islanders for generations to come. While I hate to see her leave the Senate, I know that she will continue to make a tremendous difference working with her in a new capacity.”
Cano, a Colombian immigrant who came to the United States as a teenager under political asylum, began her political career in 2012 on the Pawtucket School Committee, advancing to a seat on the Pawtucket City Council in 2014.
She also ran, and placed third, in the special Democratic primary for the open 1st Congressional District seat in 2023.
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