East Greenwich dentist launches CD2 campaign, setting up rare Republican primary

A dentist known for defying the Rhode Island COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers is seeking a new label: U.S. congressman.

Dr. Stephen Skoly launched his public campaign for the 2nd Congressional District with an event at Circe Prime Italian Steak House on Wednesday. Skoly, 69, who lives in East Greenwich, will be the second Republican vying to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner.

Vic Mellor, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who attended the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, drew attention to his campaign earlier this month with a divisive fundraiser headlined by President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser and Middletown native Michael Flynn.

Seeking to differentiate himself from Mellor, Skoly emphasized his ties to the community. A Connecticut native, Skoly has lived in Rhode Island for nearly 40 years, where Mellor only recently returned to the Ocean State after spending the last three decades living in Florida.

“I know my neighbors and constituents,” Skoly said in an interview Friday. “I know what their concerns are.”

But, Skoly acknowledged that he and Mellor are likely to share similar ideologies.

Both have proclaimed medical freedom as parts of their campaign. 

An oral surgeon with a practice in Cranston, Skoly gained notoriety during the pandemic for refusing to be vaccinated in defiance of state requirements for health care workers, temporarily losing his license to operate, prompting a lawsuit against the state, which he lost, according to news reports. 

Skoly said he supports Trump, voting for him in the last three presidential elections, but occasionally disagreed with his delivery style.

“He’s a little more boisterous than I would ever be in a diplomatic sense,” Skoly said.

Regarding the war in Iran, Skoly also acknowledged the country was potentially not prepared for the consequences on oil and energy prices, which have skyrocketed.

A self-described fiscal conservative in favor of “common-sense policy,” Skoly said he entered the race to represent Republicans, noting that none of the 21 U.S. House seats across New England are held by Republicans.

“I truly believe Congress needs new representation,” he said. “I don’t think a lot of our citizens are represented.”

Regarding federal immigration enforcement, a key battle in Congress as a partial government shutdown continues without funding for the Department of Homeland Security, Skoly said he supported actions taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to remove undocumented residents, especially those who have committed crimes. The crime rate among undocumented immigrants is lower than that of U.S. citizens.

Skoly said it was “unfortunate” when citizens and lawmakers “intefered” with ICE agents trying to perform their duties.

Skoly also served six years on the board, including as chair, of the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity, described on its website as a “free-market think tank.” He stepped down in order to run for Congress.

His platform also includes promoting energy affordability, economic development and “restoring trust in government,” according to a campaign statement.

Rhode Island Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz, a North Smithfield Republican, and John Loughlin, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, also spoke in support of Skoly at his kickoff event.

Skoly opened a campaign account with the Federal Election Commission on Dec. 18. He had not raised or spent any money as of Dec. 31, the most recent data available. However, he said he recently began accepting donations and also plans to loan some of his own money to the campaign. 

Magaziner has represented the district since 2022, filling the open seat left after former U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin stepped down. Magaziner’s campaign did not directly comment on Skoly’s candidacy, but suggested he will run again.

“Rep. Magaziner is focused on his work in Congress to lower costs for health care, housing, and groceries and make life more affordable for Rhode Islanders,” Jess Vaughn, a campaign spokesperson, said in an email Friday. “He is fighting to root out the corruption in Washington where politicians get rich by letting big companies profit at the expense of working people. He looks forward to campaigning for another term to continue that fight.”

Mellor’s campaign did not immediately return inquiries for comment Friday.

The district spanning most of the state’s urban core, including Cranston, Warwick and parts of Providence, is considered “solid D” by Cook Political Report, although the scoring was last updated in February 2025, before candidates began campaigning for the 2026 race. More than half of the 371,716 registered voters in the district are unaffiliated, while another 30% are Democrats, according to the Rhode Island Department of State. The remaining 16% are Republican. The district backed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election by seven percentage points.

The primary is Sept. 8.