Squid may have stolen the spotlight during the Democratic National Convention’s roll call on Tuesday night. Rhode Island’s 30-second vote managed to highlight calamari, the “state appetizer.”

Rhode Island State Rep. Joseph McNamara cast the state's official votes, but he also took time to highlight the state’s seafood industry.

“Rhode Island, the ocean state, where our restaurant and fishing industry have been decimated by this pandemic, are lucky to have a governor, Gina Raimondo, who’s program lets our fishermen sell their catches directly to the public and our state appetizer, calamari, is available in all 50 states,” he said from Oakland Beach in Warwick, Rhode Island.

He stood next to John Bordieri, executive chef of the seafood restaurant Iggy’s Boardwalk. The masked chef stayed silent as he held a heaping plate of calamari. The fried squid was topped with peppers.

“The calamari comeback state of Rhode Island casts one vote for Bernie Sanders and 34 votes for the next president, Joe Biden,” McNamara said.

The seafood soaked up the limelight, and Twitter ate it up.

McNamara told the Providence Journal that it took more than 20 takes to get his DNC message out in the time allotted. “It’s tough for any elected official to say anything in 30 seconds,” he reasoned.

Calamari became Rhode Island’s official state appetizer in 2014 after McNamara campaigned for giving Calamari the crown starting in 2013.

As McNamara said, Rhode Island-style calamari is pretty widely available in the U.S. However, those looking to make it at home can find a recipe at Epicurious.

Calamari
A plate of calamari is pictured at The Art of Alchemy with Alex Ott at Kola House part of LOCAL presented by Delta Air Lines at Kola House on Oct. 15, 2016 in New York City. Noam Galai/Getty Images for NYCWFF
RELATED STORIES
Joe biden