Gabe Amo, a Ghanaian-American, made history when he was sworn in as a member of the United States Congress, representing the historic state of Rhode Island.
He is the state’s first black congressional representative. The 36-year-old Democrat won a special election in November to replace Democratic Rep. David Cicilline. Amo, who was born and raised in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, comes from a family of immigrants. His mother, Wendy Socree, is a nurse from Liberia, and his father, Gabriel Amo, owns a liquor store and hails from Ghana.
Having previously worked as a senior advisor to President Joe Biden, Amo has expressed optimism for the future of the black community in Rhode Island. In his floor speech after being sworn in, he paid tribute to the late Reverend Mahlon Van Horn, the first black man elected to the Rhode Island State House.
Gabe Amo, as he’s affectionately called, hails from Kumawu Bodomase in the Ashanti Region of Ghana but was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. His father is from Ghana, while his mother comes from Liberia.
Gabriel Amo has also served in the Barack Obama administration, running several democratic political campaigns and in Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo’s administration.
Gabe Amo graduated from Moses Brown College Preparatory School in Providence, Rhode Island. During his time there, he was part of the student senate of the school, where he received several honors for his leadership skills.
He was also selected to participate in the United States Senate Youth Program in Washington, D.C. Gabe Amo later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wheaton College in Massachusetts, where he studied political science and graduated with distinction.
Overall, Gabe Amo has served in various positions and has been honored with many awards.
Although Amo’s victory in the special election guarantees his position for the remainder of this Congress, he will need to run for office for a full two-year term in November. Given his success in the special election, his chances appear favorable, having garnered 65% of the vote over his Republican challenger, Gerry Leonard.
As the congressman for Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District, Amo represents the eastern parts of the state, including Woonsocket, East Providence, Tiverton, and Newport. House leaders have not yet announced their committee assignments but are expected to do so in the coming weeks.
With Amo’s swearing-in, the number of Democrats in the House has increased to 213, while the Republicans hold 221 seats. This narrow margin sets the stage for a highly anticipated election year. Additionally, a Republican is favored to win a special election in Utah on November 21. Amo now joins Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, as well as Representative Seth Magaziner, in Washington, D.C., as the fourth member of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation.