Lincoln Chafee was the last Republican to represent Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate.

First elected in 2000, Chafee lost his bid for a second term in 2006 to Sheldon Whitehouse who has held the seat since.

Kevin Vigilante ran as the Republican nominee in the 1994 election and was subsequently defeated by Democratic challenger Patrick J. Kennedy.

Rhode Island has not elected any GOP candidates to statewide office since 2006, when Donald Carcieri was re-elected as governor.

Businessman John Robitaille ran as the Republican nominee in the 2010 election and was subsequently defeated by Independent challenger Lincoln Chafee.