Victor Mellor

Victor (Vic) Mellor is the Republican nominee for Rhode Island's 2nd Congressional District. A Woonsocket native and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he worked in the construction business after moving to Florida and returned to Rhode Island in 2025. He won the September 9, 2026, Republican primary and says he is running on jobs and manufacturing, parental rights, energy costs and healthcare costs.[1][2][3][4]

Mellor grew up in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and graduated from Woonsocket High School.[1][2] He served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a Sergeant and explosives-detection dog handler stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, including repeated temporary duty with the Presidential Helicopter Squadron (HMX-1) and the Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team (FAST), according to his Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.[1] After his military service he built a career in business: Ocean State Media reported that he found success in the construction business after moving to Florida, and Ballotpedia lists his career experience as business owner and president. Rhode Island Current describes him as an entrepreneur and former Marine who moved back to Rhode Island in 2025 after several decades in Florida.[1][2][4] Mellor is a founding member of the Great American Health Alliance (GAHA), which he says works with medical professionals on strategies to lower the cost of medical care.[1]

Ocean State Media reported, citing a Providence Journal report, that Mellor was present at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. He held a rally in Warwick on March 7, 2026, to promote his campaign.[2] He won the September 9, 2026, Republican primary with 58.6% of the vote (8,404 votes) over Stephen Skoly, and faces Democratic U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner in the November 3 general election.[3][1][4] Mellor reports endorsements from Veterans for America First and the Rhode Island Fraternal Order of Police, according to his Ballotpedia survey.[1]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.