October 21, 2026
Rep. Jenni Furtado, an East Providence Democrat, has been chosen as the next chairwoman of the Rhode Island Democratic Party. (Courtesy of the Rhode Island General Assembly)
A freshman state representative from East Providence will be the next leader of the Rhode Island Democratic Party, House Speaker Christopher Blazejewski announced Wednesday.
Rep. Jenni Furtado will replace former party chair Liz Beretta-Perik, who resigned Tuesday, following her husband’s indictment on federal fraud charges related to his former education firm in Ohio.
Furtado, 33, was first elected to House District 64, spanning parts of Pawtucket and East Providence, in 2024. She is unopposed in the Nov. 3 general election.
Blazejewski, a Providence Democrat, praised Furtado for her work ethic, first on the East Providence School Committee and then at the State House.
“These are difficult times, and Democrats need a chair who knows what working families are up against. Jenni does, and I’m grateful she’s willing to take this on,” Blazejewski said in a statement.
Historically, the House speaker has played a prominent role in selecting party leaders, including in 2014, when then-speaker Nicholas Mattiello backed Rep. Joe McNamara as party chair following the resignation of former leader, Rep. David Caprio. McNamara, a Warwick Democrat, chose not to seek reelection in 2023, leading to Beretta-Perik’s election as the first woman to chair the state party.
The party’s executive committee is expected to meet to ratify Furtado as the new party chairwoman in the “coming days,” although the date and time have not been set.
The daughter of first-generation Peruvian immigrants, Furtado’s story is one of firsts. The Roger Williams University School of Law graduate was the first in her family to graduate college. Her election to the East Providence School Committee in 2020 made her the first Peruvian-American official to win elected office across the state. She served as school committee president in her second term, in 2022, before running for the open House District 64 seat in 2024, easily defeating her primary challenger.
In her first term in state office, she cosponsored state legislation to cap interest on medical debt and ease local zoning restrictions to promote development of single-family homes, including townhouses.
“I’m honored by the opportunity to serve as chairwoman of the Rhode Island Democratic Party, and I’m grateful to Speaker Blazejewski for his support,” Furtado said in a statement. “These are difficult political times, and people want to know that Democrats are listening and working on the things that affect their everyday lives. “I look forward to working with Democrats in every city and town across the state to do just that.”
Furtado did not immediately respond to calls for comment Wednesday.
Furtado grew up in Mamaroneck, New York, where her family immigrated to escape guerrilla warfare in Peru, according to biographical information provided by the legislature. Her mom worked as a house cleaner, and her dad as a handyman, both juggling multiple jobs while Furtado and her brother learned English in public schools.
Furtado graduated with a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University in New York City before moving to Rhode Island for law school.
She is married to Marc Furtado, an East Providence native who is active in city Democratic politics and works as a project manager for the federal General Services Administration, according to his LinkedIn page.
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Courtesy of Rhode Island Current
