PROVIDENCE – District 47 Rep. David Place will serve as House minority whip, effective immediately, following news Thursday, June 23 that House Minority Leader Rep. Blake Filippi will not seek reelection this fall.
Filippi was replaced as House minority leader by state Rep. Michael Chippendale, with Place to fill the leadership position previously held by that representative, a Republican from Foster.
Place, who represents Burrillville and Glocester, was first elected to the General Assembly in 2018 after serving for eight years on the Burrillville Town Council. An Army veteran with a degree in accounting from Rhode Island College, Place also served for five years on the Harrisville Fire District Operating Committee. He is a member of the House Committee on Judiciary, House Committee on Municipal Government, and House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs.
The Republican representative works for American Tool Company and lives in Harrisville with wife Erin Place. He is one of just eight representatives in the Democrat-led Republican caucus.
He was named to the minority leadership role during an unannounced caucus Thursday night following the surprise announcement from Filippi, who has served as minority leader for four years.