Our first campaign ad is out! 🚁 Army helicopter pilot, combat veteran, former General Assembly member, and NASA alum John Loughlin is taking on Rhode Island’s sky-high energy bills. From the cockpit he sees a spectacular state. On the ground, one-party politics and government rules are driving some of the highest electric costs in the country. His plan: base rates on real costs—and cut bills in half. Watch the ad and see why common sense starts with lower energy costs. #Loughlin4RI #LowerEnergyBills

Rhode Island doesn’t need a millionaire tax. It needs more millionaires. Helena Foulkes wants a 3% surcharge that jacks the top rate to 8.99% and hopes for $135–142 million. Here’s the part they won’t say: Cut the top rate 1–2% and double the number of millionaires living here — and Rhode Island likely raises MORE income-tax revenue than her tax. On the order of $155 million to nearly $290 million a year. Before extra sales and property taxes. It’s common sense. You don’t grow a tax base by chasing success out of town. Foulkes: “pay for it with a millionaires tax.” “The wealthiest Rhode Islanders will pay for it.”Massachusetts already ran this play. First full year of their surtax: $4.2 billion in income left the state. High earners drove ~70% of the loss.2,300 RI residents earn $1M+. People making $200k+ are 7% of filers and already pay 55% of the income tax. Punish that group, and working families get the bill when they leave. I want a Millionaire Magnet plan: job credits for pass-through businesses and stronger charity deductions so wealth creators move HERE. Growth over envy. More millionaires. More jobs. More revenue.— John Loughlin, candidate for Lt. Governor