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50 ads analyzed · 29 use a rhetorical technique, most often glittering generalities and loaded language.
The words doing the persuading
Paid for by FRIENDS OF VICTOR MELLOR“…accounted for and actually benefit the people who live here.
It means healthcare that puts patients and doctors back in control, with transparency, choice, lower costs and medical freedom.
It means protecting our…”Glittering GeneralitiesSee this ad →
Seth Magaziner (Democrat) and Vic Mellor (Republican) are the nominees for Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district in the November 3, 2026 general election. Seth Magaziner is the incumbent. By their latest FEC reports, Seth Magaziner's campaign had raised $1.6 million (through October 14, 2026) and Vic Mellor's campaign $3.9 million (through October 14, 2026). Outside groups have reported $38,000 for Vic Mellor and $0 against. Semblen has analyzed 50 ads in this race; 29 used at least one rhetorical technique, most often glittering generalities and loaded language.
Seth Magaziner (DEM, incumbent), Vic Mellor (REP).
1 other filed with the FEC; any ads they ran are below. 50 ads analyzed, 29 with at least one technique in the copy.
Newest first. The paid-for-by line is the advertiser's own filing. Updated 2026-10-29.
Anyone can vote by mail; request a ballot by Tue, Oct 13 (4 p.m.); return it by Tue, Nov 3 (Received by the State Board of Elections or in a secure drop box by 8 p.m.) (passed)Source: vote.sos.ri.gov ↗Source: vote.sos.ri.gov ↗
Checked October 8, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with the official site before you go.
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A person reads every report and fixes errors the same day.
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Paste a campaign text message you’ve received. Semblen marks the persuasion techniques in its wording and lists the factual claims it makes. Take your name out first: what you paste is analyzed and kept like any text.
Findings
As of 2026-10-29. Counts are of distinct ads; the same text run many times is one ad.
Ads analyzed
50 · started running between 2026-07-30 and 2026-10-26
$12,000–20,130 on all ads, $7,300–12,258 on flagged ads · Meta reports ranges; these are the sums of their ends
Example
“puts patients and doctors back in control” — Glittering Generalities, paid for by FRIENDS OF VICTOR MELLOR
· the flagged ad with the highest reported spend that shows the most common technique
A small box with these findings and the newest ads, updated as new ads are analyzed. Free for newsrooms, blogs and campaigns alike; it links back here.
Follow Seth Magaziner in office
Seth Magaziner won. Get what Seth Magaziner says in office by email, analyzed for rhetorical techniques, once sworn in. And an email if the result changes: a recount or a call reversed. One-click unsubscribe.
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Leaving out the softer ones (loaded language, glittering generalities, slogans, exaggeration, repetition): 44% of ads.
The words doing the work
The words that show up most in phrases our model flagged as loaded language or name calling in this race's ads, by number of ads.
livein 3 ads· e.g. “the bad government we live under”, “unconcerned about the enormous cost and impact on our lives”
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Money in this race
From FEC filings for 2025–26. Outside spending is money a group spends on its own about a candidate — TV and online ads, mail, canvassing. It is not a donation to the campaign, and the candidate does not control it. Supporting means it was spent to help that candidate win; Opposing means it was spent to defeat them, usually on attack ads. Groups report it within 24 or 48 hours as the election nears. Raised is the campaign's own fundraising, as of its latest quarterly report. Largest donors come from each outside spender's own FEC receipts, with each donor's share of its itemized receipts; donors under $100,000 are not named. People are shown with the employer and occupation they reported. A donor that is itself a political committee is shown with its own largest donors. Companies and nonprofits don't report their funders to the FEC, so the trail ends there, and the page says so.
Seth Magaziner (DEM, incumbent)
Raised
$1.6M through 2026-10-14individuals $898K · PACs $619K · from the candidate's other committees $20K · cash on hand $1.6M
Paid for by FRIENDS OF VICTOR MELLORfrom 2026-10-26spend $200–29915,000–19,999 impressions
In July, David Morales held a fundraiser in a bar in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
One of his biggest backers stood up in front of that room and said they were going to have full control of Providence, and that David was going to turn it into a laboratory for municipal socialism.
Morales didn't correct him. He took the microphone next, and he was thrilled.
Two days later, on television, he said Rhode Island will not be a laboratory of any sort.
Fine. Then go look at your electric bill.
Rhode Island already pays more for power than they do in France. More than Portugal. More than Greece. We are paying European prices in the smallest state in America, and nobody here ever got to vote on that.
The experiment already ran. Nobody told us we were in it.
On Saturday, French police arrested more than thirteen hundred people in a single day. Not over an election. Over the cost of living. It's in Spain now. Portugal. Italy.
That's what happens when a government promises people things for long enough and the promises stop arriving. People don't get angry first.
First they get tired. Then they stop believing. The anger comes last.
I don't need to look at Paris to know what tired looks like. I can look at West Warwick.
Last summer more than eighteen thousand Rhode Island families had their power or their gas shut off, and the average one of them owed over three thousand dollars when the lights went out.
Since 2005 we have lost 795 manufacturing businesses. Not jobs. Businesses. More than a third of everything we had.
This year Rhode Island finished 48th out of 50 in the national business rankings, and dead last in the entire country on infrastructure.
Nobody did that to us in one year.
A Republican has not held this seat since January of 1991. Thirty five years, one party. And I'm not going to stand here and tell you those are bad people.
A lot of them are my neighbors.
I'm going to tell you something simpler.
When the same hands have been on the wheel for thirty five years and the car keeps going the same direction, at some point it stops being an accident.
So here is what I'm asking you for, and it's smaller than you think.
I'm not asking you to become a Republican. I'm not asking you to agree with me about everything.
I'm asking for two years.
That's the whole term. Two years. If your bill isn't lower, if the jobs aren't coming, if I turn out to be one more guy who said things, you fire me. That's how this is supposed to work, and I'll have earned it.
But if you vote the way you've always voted because that's how it's always been done, you already know what the next two years look like. You've lived the last thirty five.
I'm a Marine. Nobody ever handed me anything, and I'm not asking you to hand me anything now.
I'm asking for a shot.
Early voting is open right now. Election Day is November 3rd.
Rhode Island First.
Vic Mellor
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by Representative Patricia Morganfrom 2026-10-22spend $0–991,000–1,999 impressions
For Republicans to win, we have to make our voter turnout TOO BIG TO RIG!
I went to the Board of elections yesterday to observe the verification of signatures for mail and dropbox ballots. I asked why didn’t they use AI or bank signature verification software because that would eliminate a lot of the human error on the first pass. I was told that Rhode Island state law bans the use of AI. That is a lie. It doesn’t ban the use of AI for election operations at all.
So why lie to me? Why do they want to continue to use humans to verify signatures?
I can assure you that I saw them approve many signatures that clearly did not match. So, is that a feature that the Board of Elections wants to keep? Appears so.
Long-term the only way to stop ballot fraud is to end this policy of no excuse mail ballots.
But for this election, the only way to beat the fraud is to show up and vote. Don’t sit at home and say you can’t do anything about the bad government we live under. This is your chance to change that.
If you want Republicans to win, you have to cast your ballot. That’s what makes it count. When you sit at home, the Democrats win.
Let's make this Republican vote TOO BIG TO RIG!
A win by Vic Mellor would be the beginning of a new era in RI.
Loaded Language: The slogan 'TOO BIG TO RIG' uses an emotionally charged word that implies elections are rigged, rather than conveying facts.
Conspiracy Appeal: The phrase presupposes that elections are being secretly manipulated against Republicans, implying a hidden plot without any evidence. Flagged: “TOO BIG TO RIG”.
Black-and-White Fallacy: Presents voting as the only way to counter alleged fraud, excluding other options. Flagged: “the only way to beat the fraud is to show up and vote”.
Paid for by FRIENDS OF VICTOR MELLORfrom 2026-10-21 to 2026-10-22spend $0–996,000–6,999 impressions
WHEN CONVENTIONAL CANCER TREATMENTS FAIL, WHAT COMES NEXT?
Cancer patients and their families deserve hope, answers, transparency, and access to information about every potential treatment option.
This weekend, I’ll be joining Dr. William Makis and Dr. Mark Trozzi for two important discussions on repurposed medicines, independent cancer research, gaps in funding, and the need for greater transparency in healthcare.
As a congressional candidate and founder of We The People Health and Wellness, I believe patients deserve informed consent, medical freedom, and the right to make healthcare decisions with their doctors.
We need to encourage responsible research, ask difficult questions, and explore promising treatment options while demanding evidence of their safety and effectiveness.
📅 Saturday, October 24
🕔 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
📍 Rhode Island location provided after RSVP
📅 Sunday, October 25
🕛 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
📍804 Reservoir Avenue, Cranston, RI
🎟️ FREE EVENT, SEATING IS EXTREMELY LIMITED!
👉 RSVP NOW: vicmellor.com
Let's work toward a healthcare system that puts patients first, supports independent research, and gives families more reasons to hope.
Medical Freedom. Informed Consent. Patients First.🇺🇸
Seth Magaziner won. Get what Seth Magaziner says in office by email, analyzed for rhetorical techniques, once sworn in. And an email if the result changes: a recount or a call reversed. One-click unsubscribe.
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Paid for by What's Brewing in North Smithfield Town Governmentfrom 2026-10-21spend $0–991,000–1,999 impressions
POST BRIAN NEWBERRY READ:
“Rhode Island’s congressmen, Gabe Amo and Seth Magaziner, were among the 103 Democrats (and one Republican) who voted to eliminate aid to Israel. Is any local reporter interviewing them about why they did that? I have seen a prepared statements from the two congressmen. Still, journalists should actually - you know - talk with them and ask them questions about the substance of the situation, who if anyone they consulted, and the politics in Congress and among the electorate.”
BRIAN NEWBERRY POSTED THIS COMMENT:
“Because the Democratic base hates Jews, Charlie. I mean c’mon man. Weren’t you a reporter? You don’t see the obvious or just can’t bring yourself to see it because it’s too painful?”
Let me start by saying I am not affiliated with either political party. I have chosen to be an unaffiliated voter because I believe the leadership of both political parties fails to represent the people’s interests, so I choose to support candidates who I believe will do their best to represent the average Joe, regardless of party affiliation. Until recently I was a longtime supporter of State Representative Brian Newberry. I supported him based on my perception at the time that he was fair minded, genuine and was capable of enthusiastically representing all his constituents regardless of their political party. Sadly, I have become disenchanted with his positions on several issues and his recent egregious comment, “Because the Democratic base hates Jews” which he posted on social media, crossed the proverbial red line in my book.
I find Mr. Newberry’s despicable comment very troubling for several reasons. Newberry’s comment was a sweeping generalization which portrays all members of the Democratic base as people who hate anyone who practices the Jewish faith. The “base” of any political group is its members, so if you are a registered democrat Mr. Newberry has an issue with what he would likely call, your antisemitism. Furthermore, many Jews (young and old alike) are members of the Democratic Party yet Newberry didn’t even exempt them. The Pew Research Center survey done in 2020 showed 7 out of 10 Jewish adults identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party which illustrates the flaw in using sweeping generalizations when commenting.
Newberry needs to start following groups like “Jewish Voices for Peace” and become enlightened to the fact that being against a far right Israeli government, led by individuals who have been charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes, including genocide, does not equate to hating Jews. It’s not wrong or anti-Semitic to oppose genocide and the slaughter of innocent women and children. He needs to wake up to the fact that evil does exist in this world and there are Democrats, Republicans, Independents and members of all religions who sincerely believe it’s there duty to speak up and against such atrocities, and I readily admit to being one of them.
Rep Newberry’s derogatory comment about Democrats also seems to suggest he finds fault with the RI Congressional delegation members for voting in favor of cutting $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel. I too find fault with the RI Delegation; however, I fault them for not taking this action much sooner. It would be interesting to know how many North Smithfield residents in his district are opposed to providing further aid to Israel, since a recent poll done in August shows 60% of Americans are opposed to providing further military aid to Israel.
It didn’t surprise me when Rep Newberry began encouraging people not to support the only two Town Council candidates who are registered as Democrats claiming it was due to their “actions and content of character”. When Mr. Newberry posted his comment “Because the Democratic base hates Jews” another individual quickly added the following comment: “beware of those who make blanket statements about large swaths of people”. I agree wholeheartedly with that comment and I certainly would never accept an opinion of someone’s character from any public figure that made such an outrageous claim. I absolutely will be voting for one of those democrats (Kevin Carriere) as well as one Republican (David Punchak) whose judgement I trust. It would be interesting to know if the slate of Town Council candidates Rep Newberry is promoting share his opinion regarding the Democratic Party’s base.
Representative Newberry is running unopposed this year. He doesn’t need anyone’s vote to be elected as long as he remembers to vote for himself, so if you’re a Democrat, Independent or a Republican who does not support genocide and war crimes, or just want to see your tax dollars spent on improving infrastructure in the USA, please consider sending Brian Newberry a message by not giving him your vote in November.
Quotes language that uses Scapegoating. · not counted
False Equivalence: Lumps both parties' leadership together as equally failing the people, creating artificial balance. Flagged: “the leadership of both political parties fails to represent the people’s interests”.
Appeal to Prejudice: The quoted content attributes hatred of Jews to a whole political group, playing on prejudice against an identity group. Flagged: “Because the Democratic base hates Jews”.
Loaded Language: Emotionally charged wording like 'egregious' and 'crossed the proverbial red line' frames the comment dramatically.
Name Calling: Labels the Israeli government 'far right' and attaches grave accusations to discredit it.
Bandwagon Appeal: Suggests broad cross-party and cross-religion agreement to pressure the target to conform. Flagged: “there are Democrats, Republicans, Independents and members of all religions who sincerely believe”.
Black-and-White Fallacy: Implies that anyone who does not support genocide and war crimes or who wants infrastructure spending must withhold their vote, leaving only two positions. Flagged: “if you’re a Democrat, Independent or a Republican who does not support genocide and war crimes, or just want to see your tax dollars spent on improving infrastructure in the USA”.
Paid for by CCN - Rhode Islandfrom 2026-10-21spend $0–993,000–3,999 impressions
ABOLISH ICE IN RHODE ISLAND?
A court released an illegal alien charged with child rape in MA. Yet RI politicians Seth Magaziner, David Morales & Enrique Sanchez keep attacking ICE and pushing to abolish federal enforcement. Public safety must come before radical politics—our families deserve real protection now.
#RhodeIsland #PublicSafety #KeepFamiliesSafe #BorderSecurity
Loaded Language: The term 'illegal alien' paired with 'child rape' is emotionally charged and meant to provoke outrage.
Appeal to Fear: A single vivid crime case is used to evoke fear about immigrants and the release of suspects. Flagged: “A court released an illegal alien charged with child rape”.
Card Stacking: Juxtaposes an unrelated Massachusetts court case with Rhode Island politicians' positions, implying a causal link while omitting context. Flagged: “keep attacking ICE and pushing to abolish federal enforcement”.
Black-and-White Fallacy: Frames the issue as a binary choice between public safety and opponents' politics. Flagged: “Public safety must come before radical politics”.
False Urgency: 'Now' pushes immediate action on protection. Flagged: “real protection now”.
Paid for by Friends of Alana DiMariofrom 2026-10-19spend $0–992,000–2,999 impressions
Congressman Seth Magaziner Endorses Erin West Earle for North Kingstown School Committee
Congressman Magaziner understands the importance of having serious, thoughtful adults in the room when making the decisions that affect our communities, especially our schools.
That is why he supports voting for Erin West Earle for re-election on or before November 3rd, and so do I!
#northkingstown #election2026 #schoolcommittee #education #localelections
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by Representative Patricia Morganfrom 2026-10-18spend $0–992,000–2,999 impressions
IF SETH MAGAZINER IS REELECTED, HE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AN OPEN BORDER. HARDWORKING RHODE ISLANDERS WILL PAY THE HEFTY PRICE.
The border has been so quiet and controlled for nearly two years now, that we forget the chaos and the alarming impact of millions of illegal immigrants swarming across our border. We forget the harmful impact of their continued presence.
But keep this in mind! During the Biden years, Seth Magaziner framed the invasion as a problem needing a humanitarian solution. He consistently treated the open border as a systems problem requiring more legal pathways and expanded opportunities for orderly processing. He wanted additional staffing and technology at ports of entry. And he praised the CBP One app used to fly unvetted immigrants directly from their countries into America’s interior. He rejected the characterization that the Biden-Mayorkas policies were deliberate non-enforcement or an open border crisis.
In other words, he is a willing supporter of open border policies and wants it to continue.
In the intervening 2 years, he has not changed.
He has consistently voted against measures to tighten enforcement and control the border, including:
• The Laken Riley Act, which requires detention of non-citizens arrested or charged with theft, burglary, assault on law enforcement, or crimes causing death or serious injury. It passed with bipartisan support.
• The Secure the Border Act of 2023, which included border wall funding, asylum restrictions, limits on parole, and stronger detention and removal authority. He called it “cruel and counterproductive.”
• The Federal Working Animal Protection Act, which makes non-citizens who harm federal law-enforcement animals inadmissible and deportable.
• The impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of border security.
• Multiple Homeland Security funding bills that supported ICE, CBP, the Coast Guard, and tighter asylum and enforcement rules.
He has been critical of ICE, supportive of sanctuary cities, vocal in defending illegal immigrants and unconcerned about the enormous cost and impact on our lives of the open borders policy.
What are those costs?
Illegal immigrants immediately received generous benefits and stayed on them. Free food, free healthcare, housing assistance, free education, free cell phone and utilities assistance, free transportation, and monthly cash. It has been estimated that it costs taxpayers $170,000 the first year to settle each illegal immigrant in our country. They continue to get benefits for years.
The cost of housing soared as illegal immigrants occupied apartments and with generous vouchers were able to outbid our native graduates.
Our healthcare costs exploded, as we added more and more illegals to Medicaid, Medicare and Obamacare for free. Emergency rooms became clogged and our state budget paid hundreds of millions to the hospitals for uncompensated care.
Our schools suffered as ill-prepared children, speaking foreign languages were thrust randomly throughout the year into classrooms. Performance scores plummeted. The cost of the English as Second Language programs added to already strained school budgets. Those costs were covered by ever-increasing property taxes.
Overdose deaths climbed every year. The misery of addiction captured more and more of our children.
During the Biden years, there were next to no jobs created for American citizens. Instead, jobs for the illegal immigrants proliferated. Our legislature increased the minimum wage in an attempt to convince us that a job flipping burgers should pay enough to support a family. Of course, that meant that the occasional dinner out with our family became prohibitive.
Vote for Vic Mellor. He will vote to keep the border controlled, fully fund Customs and Border Patrol, ICE and the US Coast Gurad. He will put Rhode Island First.
Loaded Language: 'Open border' is a charged characterization of the candidate's position that is not a factual description.
Appeal to Fear: Warns of vague but costly consequences for ordinary people if the candidate is reelected, to push a vote choice. Flagged: “WILL PAY THE HEFTY PRICE”.
Glittering Generalities: Flattering, vague praise of the voters ('hardworking') carries no specific meaning.
Exaggeration/Hyperbole: Overstates the scale and nature of border crossings as a swarm of millions. Flagged: “millions of illegal immigrants swarming across our border”.
Appeal to Prejudice: Casts immigrants as a group whose very presence is harmful, targeting an immigrant-status group. Flagged: “harmful impact of their continued presence”.
Repetition: The word 'free' is repeated several times in a list to stress the idea of handouts.
Card Stacking: Relies on a vague, unsourced estimate of cost to taxpayers while omitting any counterevidence or context. Flagged: “It has been estimated that it costs taxpayers $170,000 the first year”.
Scapegoating: Blames a whole group, illegal immigrants, for the broad problem of rising housing costs. Flagged: “The cost of housing soared as illegal immigrants occupied apartments”.
Paid for by FRIENDS OF VICTOR MELLORfrom 2026-10-17spend $200–29920,000–24,999 impressions
We interviewed some of Seth Magaziner’s most loyal and energized supporters to find out why they are supporting him.... Listen to find out why...
#RhodeIsland
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by FRIENDS OF VICTOR MELLORfrom 2026-10-13spend $100–19915,000–19,999 impressions
In 1636 they threw Roger Williams out for refusing to go along. He founded Providence.
His idea stands on top of our State House.
What would he think if he came down today?
The dark mills.
The kids told the smartest move is to leave.
The energy bills.
The roads.
Watch what he sees.
Rhode Island didn’t start by going along. It started by refusing to.
It’s time to find our independent streak again.
Early voting starts October 14. Election Day is November 3.
Smallest State. Biggest Spine. 🇺🇸
Semper Fi,
— Vic Mellor
no techniques found6.7% of sentences flagged
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by CCN - Rhode Islandfrom 2026-10-13spend $0–991,000–1,999 impressions
MAGAZINER'S CONTRADICTION
ICE ‘Lawless’? He Voted Against Laken Riley
Seth Magaziner called ICE “lawless,” blamed diesel prices only on Iran, and claimed a trillion-dollar healthcare cut while voting against the Laken Riley Act and cosponsoring the Green New Deal. Independent fact-checkers and his own record show the contradictions. Rhode Islanders deserve the truth.
Follow CCN - Rhode Island, for more local news Rhode Island from politics to faith with real fact.
An ad is on this page because its own "Paid for by" line is a campaign in this race; or it comes from a national Senate group and ran mostly in RI; or it ran mostly in RI and names a candidate — unless its sponsor is a campaign for some other office. Ads from outside groups appear alongside the campaigns' own.
Campaigns run one text as many separate ads. Identical text from the same sponsor is one card here, marked with its number of variants.
A technique is a specific rhetorical move in the wording, found by our model and explained in one line. It is not a claim that the ad is false.
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Video ads come from the campaigns' own YouTube channels; the transcript is analyzed. Meta ads are analyzed on their text; their video and images are not, yet.