James R. Langevin (/ˈlændʒəˌvɪn/ LANN-jə-vinn; born April 22, 1964) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district from 2001 to 2023.

He had been working in the Boy Scout Explorer program at the Warwick Police Department when a firearm was accidentally discharged, leaving him paralyzed.

He was elected Secretary of State of Rhode Island in November 1994, defeating Republican incumbent Barbara Leonard.

[citation needed] Langevin voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.

"[10][11] He strongly promotes contraceptive availability, and in a 2007 statement said, "I have great respect for the passion displayed by Mr. Smith and Mr. Stupak and I share their opposition to abortion.

However, in this instance I must strongly disagree with their decision to prevent the distribution of contraception to some of the most poor and needy people and nations in the world.

"[12] Because of his mixed stance on the issue, he has received fluctuating ratings from interest groups such as Planned Parenthood and the National Right to Life Committee.

[20] He has appeared on 60 Minutes speaking about the national security challenges the country will face this century in regard to protecting infrastructure and data.

[23] Cybersecurity contractors General Dynamics and Raytheon were Langevin's two top sources for campaign contributions in the 2010 election.

In 2009, the bill was included in the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, also co-sponsored by Langevin, which passed both houses of Congress and was signed into law by President Barack Obama.

In 2008, Langevin announced his support for Hillary Clinton for president,[29] and served as a special adviser to her on issues ranging from stem cell research to people with disabilities.

He has praised these developments, saying wind farm "development holds great promise for Rhode Island and the country to have more stable and cleaner energy resources, while boosting our economy by presenting an opportunity to build a manufacturing base for these turbines and create quality jobs in the Ocean State.

"[31][32] In 2011, Langevin strongly opposed the Energy Tax Prevention Act, which would limit the EPA's ability to regulate carbon outputs.

2012 Langevin was reelected with 55.7% of the vote, defeating Republican nominee Michael Riley and Independent Abel Collins, an environmental activist.