WPRI Covers Vic Mellor’s “Rhode Island First” Rally at the Crowne Plaza
WPRI published its coverage of Vic Mellor‘s March 7th “Rhode Island First” rally at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick, with General Michael Flynn headlining the event. The piece covers the speakers, the crowd, and the core message Vic brought to the room: Rhode Island has been left behind, and that changes now.
The ballroom filled to its 550-person capacity, with overflow attendees standing in the hallways and people turned away at the door. General Flynn, a Middletown native himself, told reporters before the event that Vic’s story is “really what the American Dream is all about,” describing a kid who grew up in the projects of Woonsocket, joined the Marines, left Rhode Island because there was no opportunity, built 17 businesses in Florida, and came back to fix the state that shaped him. Former New England Patriots offensive tackle Matt Light also spoke, throwing his support behind Vic’s vision.
Vic’s central argument on the night was direct: there is $18 trillion flowing into this country right now, and none of it is coming to Rhode Island because the current federal delegation won’t engage with the administration. “I know people in the administration,” Vic said, “and I will be that conduit to bring those jobs here so now we can get back to where Rhode Island used to be when it was an industrial powerhouse.”
Magaziner’s campaign responded by calling Vic and Flynn “Florida extremists.” Seth Magaziner has held this seat since 2022 and Rhode Island still ranks among the worst states in the country for business climate and economic opportunity. Voters packed a hotel ballroom on a Saturday night to hear something different.
