Narragansett Election Profile: Alana DiMario

NARRAGANSETT, RI — Alana DiMario is running to represent District 36 in Rhode Island's Senate. The 42-year-old Democrat is a newcomer to elected office.

DiMario has been a mental health therapist for the past 18 years and hold a bachelor's degree in psychology from Wells College and a master's degree in clinical psychology from Bridgewater State University. She and her husband, Eric, have three children: Leo,11, Sam,9, and Morgan, 5.

Campaign website: https://www.alana4ri.com/

Why are you seeking elective office?

I have had a lifelong call to serve my community, and to use the skills and resources I have to help others. Through my therapy practice and community-based parent support groups I have been fortunate to help many individuals and families move forward past barriers, and I see serving in public office as a way to help my community move forward on a larger scale.

What do you believe should be done to contain the coronavirus pandemic, and what would you do to lessen its economic impacts?

First, we need to continue to listen to the experts, and stay informed on the science that continues to around COVID-19. Currently, focusing on continuing the practices of physical distancing, mask-wearing, and robust testing and contact tracing are a priority as they have resulted in Rhode Island's relatively good containment so far. To lessen its economic impacts in the short term, we need to keep our numbers down, provide businesses and community institutions like schools with the supplies and support they need to minimize transmission and stay functioning, and ensure that we maintain a basic level of housing and food security for all Rhode Islanders.

Do you believe systemic racism is a problem in America generally and Rhode Island specifically, and if so, what would you do to combat it?

Yes. We need to be able to recognize and address the ways that our institutions and policies were created by white people during a time of intentional racial suppression, and we must be willing to look at the impacts of those policies as they persist today. One of the best ways to combat it is to listen to the voices of people who were not included in the creation of those policies about how they are impacted and what needs to change to create equity and justice, and take their lead in making those changes.

Should the words "Providence Plantations" be removed from the state's name?

Yes

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

As a mental health professional I bring a different perspective to policymaking. My professional expertise is rooted in looking at evidence-based best practices, and in finding ways around barriers to move forward in the pursuit of something better. I know that change can be hard and slow, but I also know that it's worth putting in the work, day by day, to move from where we are to where we want to be. I have experience bringing groups with competing interests together to find common goals and a path forward. I am not a person with big political ambitions, I am running because I see this as a public service to my community.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

The COVID-19 crisis has shown the gaps in our current systems regarding family leave, child care, healthcare access, and equity in education, and it has also shown how effective our state can be in shoring up those systems. I would like to find ways to make sustainable changes in those areas. In addition, the current COVID-19 crisis can't make us ignore the crisis of climate change. As we recover from this pandemic, we have the opportunity to do so in a way that meets the goals of creating jobs and reinvigorating the economy while also investing in smart and comprehensive sustainable energy technologies.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Since I started formally working at the age of 15, I have always held more than one job. I have worked in food service, retail, direct service in group homes, as an adjunct professor, a receptionist, and a director of large community mental health programs. One of my biggest accomplishments in life is learning how to listen to and connect people, and to stay solution-focused when presented with a problem. I have sat with people through some of the hardest moments of their lives. Keeping things in perspective, and carrying with me all of the experiences I have had and the people I have met give me the strength I need to handle anything.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

To assume that people are doing the best they can with the information and resources they have, and to act accordingly. Maybe I can help give them better information or more resources, but I always start from a place of assuming that people are doing the best they can with what they have at that time.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Nothing at this time, though I am always available for questions and to listen to the concerns of my community.