Cynthia M. Mendes (born June 14, 1980) is an American politician who formerly served as a member of the Rhode Island Senate from the 18th district. Elected in November 2020, she assumed office on January 5, 2021, and left office in January 2023. She is a member of the Democratic Party . Early life and education Mendes was born to a mother with Puerto Rican background from New Bedford, Massachusetts , and a father of Cape Verdean background. [ 1 ] Mendes said she was raised in "a very conservative Christian environment" and attended the Word of Life Bible Institute , which she described as a "conservative Christian college". [ 2 ] She earned an associate degree in social sciences from the Community College of Rhode Island . She is also a certified orthodontic assistant and dental radiology technician. [ 3 ] From 2004 to 2017, Mendes was a clinical supervisor at an orthodontics clinic in Barrington, Rhode Island . [ 3 ] She later worked as a manager at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] In the 2020 elections , Mendes ran for the Rhode Island Senate seat in the 18th district, which includes the cities of East Providence and Pawtucket , and she obtained the endorsement of the progressive Rhode Island Political Cooperative . She defeated incumbent William Conley Jr. in the Democratic primary in what The Boston Globe deemed as an upset victory . [ 2 ] [ 6 ] She was elected to the state senate in November 2020 and assumed office on January 5, 2021. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] Mendes unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor of Rhode Island in the 2022 election . [ 7 ] By this time, she was working for the progressive group Renew New England. During the race, Mendes expressed support for having abortions covered by Medicaid and state insurance, but was later criticized for anti-abortion social media posts from 2014 to 2015. [ 2 ] In defense of the posts, she stated on Twitter that "I'm not ashamed of my past. I had a journey into this movement." She further stated that "Today I am proudly, and strongly, pro-choice ". [ 2 ] In the 2024 presidential election , Mendes endorsed author Marianne Williamson 's presidential bid . [ 8 ] Mendes previously used the last name Buono from a past marriage. Registered as a Republican in East Providence until 2016, Mendes later wrote in " libertarian " in an election, and in 2019 switched affiliations to the Democratic Party. [ 2 ] ↑ Cowperthwaite, Wheeler (August 20, 2022). "Three Democrats make the case for becoming RI's lieutenant governor" . The Providence Journal . Retrieved June 27, 2023 . 1 2 3 4 5 Fitzpatrick, Edward (October 7, 2021). "Progressive candidate for lieutenant governor faces criticism over past anti-abortion posts" . The Boston Globe . Retrieved February 4, 2024 . 1 2 "Senator Cynthia Mendes" . State of Rhode Island General Assembly . Archived from the original on May 7, 2021 . Retrieved May 7, 2021 . 1 2 "Cynthia Mendes" . Ballotpedia . Retrieved May 7, 2021 . 1 2 "Senate Finance Chairman William Conley trails primary opponent" . Providence, Rhode Island: WJAR . September 9, 2020 . Retrieved May 7, 2021 . ↑ Fitzpatrick, Edward (September 8, 2020). "In early results, progressives see hopeful signs in R.I. Democratic legislative primaries" . The Boston Globe . Retrieved February 4, 2024 . ↑ "Rhode Island Lieutenant Governor Primary Election Results" . The New York Times . September 13, 2022. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved June 27, 2023 . ↑ "New endorsements + Update from the road in NH!" . Archive of Political Emails . July 5, 2023 . Retrieved October 28, 2023 . Profile at Vote Smart

21st-century American women politicians Community College of Rhode Island alumni Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Rhode Island Hispanic and Latino American women in politics Democratic Party Rhode Island state senators Women state legislators in Rhode Island American politicians of Cape Verdean descent American politicians of Puerto Rican descent 21st-century members of the Rhode Island General Assembly 21st-century African-American politicians Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata Use American English from July 2026 All Wikipedia articles written in American English Use mdy dates from February 2024