It has been a tumultuous week for Jennifer Rourke, the candidate for Rhode Island Senate who was hit in the face by her Republican opponent at an abortion rally on Friday. On Saturday, the alleged assailant, off-duty cop Jeann Lugo, declared that he would no longer be running for office (he was reportedly charged with disorderly conduct and simple assault that afternoon). And on Monday, her Democratic rival, Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey, announced that he won’t run in the election either, opting to spend more time “with those that I hold most dear.” As a result, Rourke is currently running unopposed, though the filing deadline closes on Wednesday; a spokesperson for her campaign said they “are hearing that [McCaffrey] is recruiting someone to run against her.” A spokesperson for the Rhode Island Democratic Party declined to comment on whether it would endorse Rourke.
