Speeches from Rhode Island First Rally on LPR Facebook
Rhode Island First Rally Featured on LPR
Latino Public Radio featured speeches from Vic Mellor’s Rhode Island First campaign rally through Facebook reels following the March 7 event at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick.
The rally brought together supporters, community leaders, and guest speakers. Below is a collection of all nine featured speakers and their remarks from the event.
Speakers
1. Victor “Vic” G. Mellor
Builder of Freedom. Fighter for Rhode Island.
Vic Mellor draws on his service as a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and entrepreneur. Over three decades, he built businesses that supported working families and created jobs.
He has consistently defended individual rights and independent thinking. Supporters describe him as a leader focused on creating opportunities for Americans to prosper.
Vic’s career centers on action as much as words. For more than 30 years, he operated businesses that provided stable jobs and steady paychecks. This work later inspired him to found We The People Health & Wellness Center.
Vic understands the challenges facing Rhode Island families. Rising housing costs, economic uncertainty, and pressure on working households remain central issues in his campaign. He has returned home to fight for Rhode Island because people feel frustrated with the status quo. Soaring costs, struggling schools, and population loss demand stronger leadership.
Vic’s Policy Priorities
Vic is ready to serve because he believes in several core principles:
Restoring Economic Sovereignty: Ending policies that burden the working class while encouraging investment and job growth in Rhode Island.
Defending Constitutional Rights: Supporting free speech, medical freedom, parental rights, and the Second Amendment.
Restoring Trust: Promoting election integrity and encouraging systems where work, skilled trades, and personal responsibility receive greater support.
Rhode Islanders First
Mellor’s campaign is not about party insiders or outside interests. Instead, it is a campaign focused on protecting Rhode Island families and rebuilding trust. For more than 30 years, he has employed and supported working families. Now, he is ready to continue serving and rebuilding Rhode Island.
2. Lt. General Michael Flynn
3. Malchiel Arputharaj Doraisamy
Malchiel Arputharaj Doraisamy is the Chief of Staff on Vic Mellor for Rhode Island Congress District 2 Campaign. He is also the founder Matrix Business Accelerator, developing Zillennials in their skills with tech, business, and life by having them work as paid apprentices with a professional team. Zillennials work on software, web, app and digital marketing projects for local businesses gaining work experience in the areas they are passionate about.
4. Matt Light
5. Ramona Bessinger
Ramona Bessinger is a veteran English teacher with over 20 years of experience in the Providence Public School District in Rhode Island. She gained national attention in 2021 as a whistleblower after publicly criticizing what she described as anti-American and divisive curricula, including elements of Critical Race Theory (CRT), being introduced in Rhode Island schools. Bessinger has spoken out on issues of parental rights, educational transparency, and opposition to ideological indoctrination. She has faced professional repercussions, including a pre-disciplinary hearing, and is currently involved in a lawsuit against Rhode Island health officials, alleging she was denied a seat on the state’s Commission for Health Advocacy & Equity due to her race and sex. She is an active conservative advocate and community organizer in Rhode Island.
6. Robert J. Chiaradio Jr.
Robert J. Chiaradio Jr., a Westerly, Rhode Island resident and former Brown University football player (1980–1983) who coached girls’ sports, is a leading conservative activist championing education reform and parental rights in Rhode Island’s public schools, inspired by his own children’s experiences there. Since 2021, he has challenged Critical Race Theory elements in curricula, campaigned against books he considers inappropriate or obscene for minors, and since mid-2024, toured all 39 school committees to oppose the state’s transgender student guidelines as unlawful violations of Title IX, advocating biological sex-based policies for sports, privacy, and fairness. Describing his efforts as a “father’s mission,” he has delivered General Assembly testimony, issued legal notices, and made media appearances. Aligning with the RI GOP and the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, he is praised by supporters for advocating on behalf of children and remains a central figure in the state’s education debates.
7. Normand Champigny
Normand Champigny is a Rhode Island native from Woonsocket and a long-time New England small-business and community advocate. He is a passionate US Constitutional Conservative and a 1983 graduate of Woonsocket High School, he now serves as Clerk of the Select Board in neighboring Sutton, Massachusetts. Through his public service, Champigny focuses on protecting local decision-making, responsible spending, and maintaining the character of small towns. He has been an active voice on issues affecting municipal government, including zoning, education policy, and the relationship between state mandates and local communities. Champigny supports strong family involvement in education, individual liberties, and accountable government. He speaks frequently about the importance of civic participation, transparency, and effective government. He continues to advocate for fiscal responsibility and community safety, encouraging residents to stay engaged in their local government and to have a voice in the decisions that shape their livelihood.
8. Holly Sullivan
Holly Sullivan is a New England conservative advocate deeply involved in the fight to preserve our Second Amendment rights. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, one of the oldest national second amendment advocacy organizations in the United States. Holly is also President of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League and has held the position of treasurer for the NRA Political Victory Fund and an Advisory Board member of Women For Gun Rights. Over the past decade, she has been at the forefront of the 2A fight, whether it’s challenging local ordinances or testifying before Congress in Washington DC. She holds a key role in Grant v Lamont, a federal lawsuit currently pending before the United States Supreme Court seeking to restore access to commonly owned sporting rifles which may impact all Americans currently living under a ban. She is also actively serving as a Selectman in her hometown.
9. Matt Juliano
Matt Juliano is a local community leader in Rhode Island and founder of TrainGOP, a free, donor-supported national learning and leadership platform that educates, equips, and empowers conservatives in politics, public service, and communities. Through expert-led online courses, mentorship, and practical playbooks, it covers everything from Republican principles and campaign setup to fundraising, field operations, digital strategies, compliance, debate prep, and leadership development, removing barriers for aspiring candidates, staff, and activists to get involved and win.
