Rep. Robert Craven steps down as House Judiciary chairman, will not seek re-election in 2026
By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current
After dropping out of the race to become Rhode Island’s next attorney general late last week, Rep. Robert Craven is ceding his position as chairman of the powerful House Committee on Judiciary and intends to leave politics altogether after his term ends next year.
This campaign turned out to be a huge mistake
Craven, a North Kingstown Democrat, said in a statement issued Monday afternoon his decision to step aside was in the best interest of his family. He has led the 15-member panel responsible for shaping the state’s penal code and judicial system since the start of the 2019 legislative session.
“Through seven years as chair, I was privileged to shepherd issues like women’s reproductive health, gun safety and the environment that matter deeply to Rhode Islanders,” he said in a statement. “While I will continue to serve the people of North Kingstown through the end of my term, I will not seek re-election.”
Craven, 69, launched his long-planned campaign for attorney general of Rhode Island on Sept. 29, but ended his run on Thursday, Oct. 2, amid renewed scrutiny of domestic assault charges from two decades ago.
The charges have since been expunged, but Craven in his statement Monday alluded to how the focus on his past has personally affected him.
“Many people have reached out to me over the past few days,” he said. “Some I know from my work as a representative, others are colleagues in the law, friends, and some are strangers who are on their own journey of hope and redemption. I am grateful for their support and understanding as I continue on my own personal journey.”
House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi was alerted to Craven’s decision following a conversation earlier Monday, chamber spokesperson Larry Berman said in an emailed statement.
“Speaker Shekarchi thanked him for his seven years of service as the committee chair and 13 years as a House member,” Berman said.
Craven, who works as an attorney in his private practice in North Kingstown, was first elected to represent House District 32 in 2012.
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