The View Ahead… Here’s To Looking Forward!

As 2025 comes to a close, there’s a natural temptation to look back and recap the year that was, tally up the wins and losses, and replay everything in the rearview mirror.

For better or for worse, that’s not how I like to look at things.

The view through the windshield is so much bigger and brighter than the one from the rearview mirror.

Not that the rearview doesn’t matter. It keeps us grounded. It also reminds us where we’ve been and what we’ve learned, but it’s also small for a reason.

If you are an optimist like I am, however, what’s ahead of us deserves most of our attention.

That’s how I’m thinking about 2026.

The year ahead for me is about curiosity, connection, and discovery. It’s about getting out from behind my desk, hitting the road, and spending real time with the people who make our communities what they are.

In 2026, I’m looking forward to listening more than talking and learning what keeps people up at night, and just as importantly, what would help them sleep better.

For some, it’s the cost of housing or healthcare. For others, it’s traffic, energy bills, small-business pressures, or feeling like common sense has gone missing from government altogether.

Often, it’s not one big issue. It’s the slow accumulation of everyday stresses that no one seems to be addressing, and that leads to what may be our biggest challenge in the year ahead: apathy.

Too many people in Rhode Island have come to believe that things will never really change.I’ve heard this time and time again.

It’s sad to know that so many of our fellow Rhode Islanders feel that no matter who represents them, the outcomes stay the same.

When that belief sets in, people stop engaging. They stop expecting better.

That’s understandable, but it’s also something we have to confront head-on because change does happen when people are heard, when ideas are tested honestly, and when leaders are willing to challenge the status quo with humility and persistence.

Part of our work in 2026 is to show that a different, more hopeful path forward is possible , and that path forward is not through promises, but through presence, follow-through, and results.

Sadly, it won’t always be neat or comfortable.

Along the way, we’ll break a few eggs as we work to make a proverbial omelet. Not everyone will agree with every step, and that’s okay.

Progress rarely comes without friction. What matters is staying focused on the outcome, learning as we go, and being transparent about the journey.

The year ahead will bring new roads traveled, new faces met, and new perspectives gained.

Some of what we learn will confirm what we already suspect. Some of it will challenge us to think differently, and both are good things.

So as we turn the page on 2025, I’m choosing to keep my eyes focused on the larger, brighter view ahead.

The windshield is wide open, the road is calling, and 2026 is full of opportunity.

Thanks for coming along for the ride and for bearing with us as we build something better together.

See you in 2026!