Karen AlzateServing

Karen Alzate

State HouseDemocrat

RI-District 60 State House

Age 38·Colombian-American·Chair, House Special Legislation Committee

Why This Race Matters

Alzate is a rising Colombian-American legislator who has served since 2018 in a safe Democratic district where she has won every election with 95%+ of the vote. After 14 years of attempts in the RI House, her payday lending ban finally became law in 2025, making her a key voice on economic justice for communities of color. She also made Rhode Island the first state with explicit workplace menopause protections.

Alzate won 95.9% in the 2024 general (2,769 votes) and ran unopposed in the primary. Her term ends January 5, 2027; she is expected to seek re-election in 2026 (RI primary Sept 8, general Nov 3). District 60 covers Pawtucket and Central Falls, communities with significant Latino and immigrant populations. She serves on the NHCSL Executive Committee as East Region representative and was selected for the Harvard Kennedy School and German Marshall Fund Transatlantic Inclusive Leaders Network in 2024.

Key dates to watch: Primary on September 8, 2026 and General Election on November 3, 2026.

About

Karen Alzate is a Rhode Island State Representative for District 60, representing Pawtucket and Central Falls, first elected in November 2018. A first-generation American of Colombian descent, she grew up under the shadow of deportation after her father was detained by ICE for 10 months in 2006 and ultimately deported to Colombia. She is the first college graduate in her family and has championed immigrant rights, payday lending reform, and economic justice during her tenure in the legislature.

Family & Heritage

Born December 26, 1987 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. First-generation American whose parents immigrated from Colombia to Rhode Island in the early 1980s. Her father was detained by ICE for 10 months in 2006 while she was in high school at Tolman, and was subsequently deported to Colombia. That experience shaped her advocacy for immigrant communities. First college graduate in her family.

Political Career

Before Politics

Case Manager and Employment Specialist, The Providence Center (community support program for individuals facing mental health challenges); Board Member, Pawtucket Arts Festival; Board Member, New Leaders Council

Education

B.A. in Political Science, Rhode Island College (2013); M.A. in Community Development, Roger Williams University (2019); Harvard Kennedy School (July 2024 cohort); Latina Leadership Institute (2017); New Leaders Council (2016)

Key Issues & Priorities

*Payday lending reform (eliminated 260% APR predatory loans, law effective Jan 1, 2027)
*Immigrant rights and driving privilege cards for undocumented residents (reduced fee from $50 to $25)
*Workplace menopause protections (RI first state with explicit protections)
*Education funding
*Affordable housing and adaptive reuse of commercial structures
*Economic development and small business support

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