Cicilline wins second term in Rhode Island

Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), one of the few openly gay members of Congress, has won a second term after fending off Republican Brendan Doherty.

Cicilline had 52.2 percent of the vote and Doherty, the former head of the state police, had 41.6 percent with 91.4 percent of precincts reporting, according to The Associated Press.

Rhode Island's 1st district is heavily Democratic, but Cicilline was dragged down by allegations of financial mismanagement during his time as mayor of Providence. Opponents claimed he covered up the city's dire fiscal situation during his first run for the congressional seat. 

Republicans believed Cicilline was vulnerable and launched a series of tough ads, including one accusing him of having ties to murderers and child molesters because of his work as a criminal defense attorney. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called the ad "gutter politics."

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