CalledUnofficial results
Rhode Island Senate District 5
Rhode Island State Senate · Rhode Island
Samuel W. Bell won re-election by 72.0 points over William D. Connell, Jr..
Samuel W. BellDemocrat · winner · incumbent
85.7%7,013
William D. Connell, Jr.Republican
13.7%1,120
Write-inOther party
0.6%51
8,184 votes
Source: Rhode Island Board of Elections unofficial resultsUpdated Nov 7, 2026, 1:22 PM ET
Where the race moved
Against the 2024 presidential vote
The seat's recent races
Source: Past results: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
Samuel W. BellWilliam D. Connell, Jr.
$39.6K
Raised by the campaign
$5.6K
$32.1K
Spent by the campaign
$4.5K
$44.4K
Cash on hand
$2.3K
Campaign money: Rhode Island Board of Elections, through Oct 26, 2026.
Source: Rhode Island Board of Elections campaign filingsUpdated Oct 26, 2026
Pre-election forecast (final, Nov 3)
Our model's last run before Election Day, Nov 3, 2026. It no longer updates.
- Samuel W. Bell
- >99%
- William D. Connell, Jr.
- <1%
- Projected margin
- D+61.3
The candidates
Samuel W. Bell (D)
Incumbent, Rhode Island State Senate, first elected 2018William D. Connell, Jr. (R)
Incumbent, Rhode Island State Senate, first elected 2018William D. Connell, Jr. (R)
Also on the ballot: Write-in (Other party), 0.6%