Close race for RI Senate leader in W. Warwick

WEST WARWICK, R.I.—A powerful senator from West Warwick appears to be trailing in his Democratic primary race by a very thin margin.

Unofficial returns Tuesday night showed Michael Pinga leading Stephen Alves by 17 votes. Alves is chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, a powerful post that allows him to shape the state budget.

In East Greenwich, House Minority Leader Robert Watson, a Republican, defeated a primary challenger. So did Democratic Rep. Peter Palumbo, who gained attention for his hard-line stance on illegal immigration.