Mayoral elections in Providence, Rhode Island
| Elections in Rhode Island |
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Elections are held inProvidence,Rhode Islandto electthe city's mayor.Such elections are regularly scheduled to be held inUnited States midterm electionyears.
Elections before 1998[edit]
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1998[edit]
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The1998 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral electionwas held on November 3, 1998. It saw the reelection ofBuddy Ciancito sixth overall, and third consecutive, term. Cianci ran unchallenged.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Buddy Cianci | 23,746 | 96.84 | |
| Write-in | Others | 774 | 3.16 | |
| Total votes | 24,520 | 100 | ||
2002[edit]
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The2002 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral electionwas held on November 5, 2002. It saw the election ofDemocraticnomineeDavid Cicillinein alandslide victory.
Cicilline wisas openlygay.After Cicilline took office, Providence became largest city in the United States at the time to have had an openlyLGBTQmayor (a distinction which had, beforehand, belonged toTempe, Arizonasince its election ofNeil Giuliano).[2][3]
Democratic primary[edit]
TheDemocratic Partyheld itsprimary electionon September 10, 2002.[4]
Candidates[edit]
- David Cicilline,member of theRhode Island House of Representativessince 1995
- David V. Igliozzi,Rhode Island state senatorand former Providence city councilor[4]
- Kevin McKenna,attorney[4]
- Joseph R. Paolino Jr.,former mayor of Providence (1984–1991) and formerUnited States ambassador to Malta(1994–1996)
- Withdrew
- Thomas O'Connor[5]
Polls[edit]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
David Cicilline |
David Igliozzi |
Kevin McKenna |
Joseph R. Paolino Jr. |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [4] | ± 4.5% | 50% | 10% | 4% | 32% | 4% |
Campaigning[edit]
David Ciciline and Kevin McKenna launched their campaigns prior to the June conviction of incumbent mayorBuddy Cianci,and criticized the disgraced mayor.[4]Paolino and Igliozzi launched their candidacies after Cianci's conviction, and did not openly criticize Cianci.[4]Igliozzi had once worked in the city's solicitor's office during Cianci's mayoralty.[4]
Paloino pledged to revitalizeblightedareas of the city by cleaning up their parks and schools, and by increasing communitypoliceofficers.[4]
Ciciline also advocated for the arts, and proposed making gallery and studio space available to more residents.[4]
While Ciciline was openly gay, Paolino sought to challenge him for support of the city's gay voters.[4]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | David N. Cicilline | 14,167 | 52.09 | |
| Democratic | Joseph R. Paolino, Jr. | 9,253 | 34.02 | |
| Democratic | David V. Igliozzi | 3,047 | 11.20 | |
| Democratic | Christopher Young | 730 | 2.68 | |
| Turnout | 27,197 | 28.38 | ||
General election[edit]
Candidates[edit]
- David Cicilline(Democrat), member of theRhode Island House of Representativessince 1995
- Greg Gerritt (Green)[5]
- David Talin (Republican)[5]
- Christopher Young (independent)[5]
- Withdrew
Campaigning[edit]
It was anticipated that the winner of the Democratic Party primary would be the race'sfrontrunnerin the strongly Democratic city's mayoral race.[4]
The sexuality of Cecilline, vying to become the city's first openlyhomosexualmayor, was not a prominent issue in the campaign. Some in the gay community even criticized Cecilline, accusing him of downplaying his sexuality in order to appeal more broadly to voters.[3]
Polls[edit]
Throughout the campaign, Cecilline was a strong leader in polls.[3]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
David Cicilline(D) |
Greg Gerritt (G) |
Dave Talan (R) |
Christopher Young (i) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown University[8] | September 14–22, 2002 | 506 LV | ± 4% | 70% | 2% | 4% | 1% | 23% |
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | David N. Cicilline | 29,843 | 83.83 | |
| Republican | David B. Talan | 3,453 | 9.70 | |
| Green | Greg Gerritt | 1,371 | 3.85 | |
| Independent | Christopher F. Young | 931 | 2.62 | |
| Total votes | 35,598 | 100 | ||
2006[edit]
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The2006 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral electionwas held on November 7, 2006. It saw the reelection ofincumbentDemocratDavid Cicilline.
Democratic primary[edit]
The Democratic Party'sprimary electionwas held on September 12, 2006.[10]
Candidates[edit]
- David Cicilline,incumbent mayor since 2003
- Christopher F. Young,perennial candidate(including as theReformnominee for United States Senate in2000and as a candidate for mayor in 2002)
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | David N. Cicilline(incumbent) | 11,849 | 73.95 | |
| Democratic | Christopher F. Young | 4,175 | 26.06 | |
| Total votes | 16,024 | 100 | ||
General election[edit]
Cicilline faced Republican nominee Daniel S. Harrop III, who had previously run for state house in 2002 as aLibertarianand in 2004 as a Republican.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | David N. Cicilline (incumbent) | 30,835 | 83.44 | |
| Republican | Daniel S. Harrop III | 6,119 | 16.56 | |
| Total votes | 36,954 | 100 | ||
2010[edit]
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The2010 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral electionwas held on November 2, 2010. The election saw the election ofAngel Taveras.
Taveras became the first Hispanic mayor of the city and the third elected and fourth servingDominican-Americanmayor in the United States.[12]
IncumbentDavid Cicillinedid not seek reelection, instead opting to run inthe coinciding election for Rhode Island's 1st congressional district.Cicilline was eligible to seek reelection to a third consecutive term as mayor, as term limits passed in 2006 (which limited mayors to two consecutive terms) would not go into effect until the following year.[13]
Democratic primary[edit]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Angel Taveras | 11,897 | 49.1% | |
| Democratic | John J. Lombardi | 7,050 | 29.1% | |
| Democratic | Steven M. Costantino | 4,867 | 20.1% | |
| Democratic | Christopher Young | 392 | 1.6% | |
General election[edit]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Angel Taveras | 27,528 | 82.1% | |
| Independent | Jonathan P. Scott | 6,006 | 17.9% | |
2014[edit]
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The2014 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral electionwas held on November 4, 2014. The election saw the election ofJorge Elorza.
IncumbentAngel Taverasdid not seek reelection, and instead (unsuccessfully) sought the Democratic nomination in thecoinciding Rhode Island gubernatorial election.
Democratic primary[edit]
The Democratic primary was held on September 9, 2014.
Results[edit]
Despite still appearing on the ballot, Brett Smiley had withdrawn and endorsed Elorza before the primary was held.[16]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jorge Elorza | 11,051 | 48.7% | |
| Democratic | Michael A. Solomon | 9,870 | 43.5% | |
| Democratic | Christopher F. Young | 1,049 | 4.6% | |
| Democratic | Brett Smiley | 745 | 3.3% | |
General election[edit]
The election pinned Democratic primary winner Jorge Elorza against former mayor Buddy Cianci, who was running as an independent, and Republican Daniel S. Harrop.
Elorza was endorsed by United States PresidentBarack Obama.[18]
On July 14, 2014, businessman Lorne Adrian withdrew his independent candidacy.[19]
Independent candidate Jeffrey E. Lemire failed to get his name on the ballot.[20]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jorge O. Elorza | 20,027 | 52.1% | |
| Independent | Vincent A. Cianci, Jr. | 17,306 | 45.0% | |
| Republican | Daniel S. Harrop | 1,049 | 2.6% | |
| Write-in | Write-in | 88 | 0.2% | |
| Total votes | 38,470 | |||
2018[edit]
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The2018 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral electionwas held on November 6, 2018. The election saw the reelection ofJorge Elorza.
Democratic primary[edit]
On September 12, 2018, incumbent mayor Jorge Elorza won renomination by the Democratic Party, defeating challengers Kobi Dennis and Robert DeRobbio.[22]
Elorza had been endorsed by the party organization ahead of the primary.[23]
Polls[edit]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Lorne Adrian |
Kobi Dennis |
Robert DeRobbio |
Jorge Elorza |
John Lombardi |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Zogby Strategies[24] | April 4–8, 2019 | 424 | ± 5% | 6.5% | 8.3% | 5.4% | 35.9% | 18.3% | 8.2% | 17.3% |
| – | – | – | 45.8% | 33.3% | – | – |
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jorge O. Elorza(incumbent) | 13,363 | 57.4% | |
| Democratic | Kobi Jason Dennis | 5,425 | 23.3% | |
| Democratic | Robert A. DeRobbio | 4,493 | 19.3% | |
General election[edit]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jorge O. Elorza(incumbent) | 26,935 | 63.6% | |
| Independent | Dianne S. Witman | 14,016 | 33.1% | |
| Independent | Jeffrey E. Lemire | 1,172 | 2.8% | |
| Write-in | 212 | 0.5% | ||
| Total votes | 42,335 | 100 | ||
2022[edit]
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The2022 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral electionwas held on November 8, 2022.
Since Providence limits mayors to two consecutive terms,[13]incumbent mayorJorge Elorza,aDemocrat,wasterm-limitedand thus could not run for reelection to a third consecutive term in office.[26]
Democratic primary[edit]
Candidates[edit]
Nominee[edit]
- Brett Smiley,former Rhode Island director of administration and2014mayoral candidate[27][28][29]
Eliminated in primary[edit]
- Gonzalo Cuervo, former deputy secretary of state and former chief of staff toSecretary of State of Rhode IslandNellie Gorbea[30][31][32]
- Nirva LaFortune, Providence city councilor[33]
Withdrew[edit]
- Michael Solomon, former Providence City Council president and 2014 mayoral candidate[34][26][35](endorsed Smiley)
Declined[edit]
- Lorne Adrian, businessman and 2014 independent mayoral candidate[26][36]
- Dylan Conley, candidate for United States House of Representatives in2020[37]
- Kobi Dennis,community activistand 2018 mayoral candidate[26][38][36]
- Grace Diaz,Rhode Island state representative[26][38][36](endorsed Cuervo)
- Raymond Hull,Rhode Island state representative[38][36]
- John Igliozzi, Providence City Council president[26][38][36][39]
- John J. Lombardi,Rhode Island state representative, former acting mayor, and2010mayoral candidate[26][38][36]
- David Salvatore, city councilor[26][38][36]
Endorsements[edit]
- State legislators
- Jose Batista,state representative[40]
- Sam Bell,state senator[41]
- Grace Diaz,state representative[40]
- Maryellen Goodwin,state senator[40]
- Tiara Mack,state senator[42]
- Ramon Perez,state representative[40]
- Ana Quezada,state senator[40]
- David Morales,state representative[43]
- Local officials
- Jorge Elorza,mayor of Providence[44]
- Mary Kay Harris, member of the Providence city council from Ward 11[45]
- Kat Kerwin,member of the Providence city council[40]
- Rachel Miller, member of the Providence city council[40]
- Angel Taveras,former mayor of Providence (2011–2015)[40]
- Organizations
- Rhode Island Latino PAC[43]
- Labor unions
- State legislators
- Rebecca Kislak,state representative[46]
- Marcia Ranglin-Vassell,state representative[47]
- Sam Zurier, state senator[43]
- Mayors
- Local officials
- Ruthzee Louijeune,member of theBoston City Council[48]
- Organizations
- Collective PAC[43]
- Democracy for America[49]
- EMILY's list[43]
- Rhode Island Democratic Women's Caucus[43]
- Vote Pro-Choice[43]
- Statewide officials
- Charles J. Fogarty,formerLieutenant Governor of Rhode Island(1999–2007)[50]
- State legislators
- Edith Ajello,state representative[50]
- Rhoda Perry,former state senator[50]
- Myrth York,former state senator[50]
- Local officials
- Michael Correia, Providence city councilman[50]
- JoAnn Ryan, Providence city councilwoman[50]
- Michael Solomon, former Providence city council president and withdrawn candidate in this election[51]
- James Taylor, Providence city councilman[50]
- Oscar Vargas, Providence city councilman from the 15th ward[52]
- Organizations
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brett Smiley | 9,025 | 41.84 | |
| Democratic | Gonzalo Cuervo | 7,905 | 35.64 | |
| Democratic | Nirva LaFortune | 4,643 | 21.52 | |
| Total votes | 21,573 | 100.0% | ||
External links[edit]
- Official campaign websites
General election[edit]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brett Smiley | |||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
References[edit]
- ^"Municipal Results Providence RI GENERAL ELECTION, November 3, 1998".elections.ri.gov.Rhode Island Board of Elections.RetrievedJuly 15,2021.
- ^"2002 - Explore a Year in LGBTQ History | Pride & Progress".prideandprogress.org.RetrievedJuly 14,2021.
- ^abc"Providence, R.I., elects gay mayor (6882)".advocate.November 7, 2002.RetrievedJuly 14,2021.
- ^abcdefghijk"Convicted Mayor Out of Favor, Not His Issues".Newspapers.Los Angeles Times. The Associated Press. September 5, 2002.RetrievedJuly 15,2021.
- ^abcdef"Seven make ballot for mayoral race".Newspapers.The Boston Globe. July 16, 2002.RetrievedJuly 15,2021.
- ^"Election Results".Rhode Island Board of Elections. September 10, 2002. Archived fromthe originalon February 27, 2008.RetrievedApril 21,2021.
- ^"2002 Primary Turnout".elections.state.ri.Rhode Island Board of Elections. Archived fromthe originalon April 6, 2003.
- ^"Providence City Survey, Sept. 2002".insidepolitics.org.2002.RetrievedJuly 15,2021.
- ^"Rhode Island Election Results".Rhode Island State Board of Elections. Archived fromthe originalon June 23, 2003.
- ^ab"Rhode Island Election Results".elections.ri.gov.Rhode Island Board of Elections. Archived fromthe originalon September 23, 2006.
- ^"Election Results".Rhode Island Board of Elections.[dead link]
- ^Smith, Michelle R. (January 3, 2011)."New Providence Mayor Angel Taveras sworn in".The Boston Globe.Associated Press.RetrievedJanuary 3,2011.
- ^abWinograd, Max (December 8, 2006)."Providence votes to establish term limits for council members, mayor".Brown Daily Herald.RetrievedDecember 5,2019.
- ^"Mayor CITY OF PROVIDENCE".September 23, 2010.RetrievedDecember 4,2019.
- ^"Mayor CITY OF PROVIDENCE".December 17, 2010.RetrievedNovember 4,2019.
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- ^"Mayor CITY OF PROVIDENCE".September 26, 2014.RetrievedNovember 28,2019.
- ^Smith, Michelle R. (October 27, 2014)."Obama endorses Democrat in Providence mayoral race".San Diego Union-Tribune. The Associated Press.RetrievedNovember 29,2019.
- ^Hill, John (July 14, 2014)."Lorne Adrain drops out of Providence mayoral race".providencejournal.Providence Journal.RetrievedNovember 13,2020.
- ^Hill, John (July 16, 2014)."providencejournal".providencejournal.Providence Journal.RetrievedNovember 13,2020.
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- ^Machado, Steph (March 22, 2021)."Pulse of Providence Ep. 10: Brett Smiley".WPRI.RetrievedMarch 26,2021.
- ^Turner, Dominique (February 10, 2021)."Brett Smiley steps down as Department of Administration director".abc6.WLNE-TV.RetrievedAugust 25,2021.
- ^Fenton, Josh (December 21, 2020)."NEW: Top Democratic Staffer Cuervo Makes 2022 Providence Mayoral Bid Official UPDATED".GoLocalProv.RetrievedJanuary 16,2021.
- ^Russo, Amy (August 7, 2021)."Here's how Providence's mayoral contenders say they'd address crime, violence and the police".The Providence Journal.RetrievedAugust 25,2021.
- ^"Pulse of Providence Ep. 12: Gonzalo Cuervo".WPRI.July 19, 2021.RetrievedAugust 25,2021.
- ^"Nirva LaFortune announces run for Providence mayor".WPRI.September 27, 2021.RetrievedOctober 17,2021.
- ^Nagle, Kate (June 10, 2021)."EXCLUSIVE: Solomon to Run for Mayor of Providence in 2022".GoLocalProv.RetrievedJuly 12,2021.
- ^"Michael Solomon drops out of Providence mayoral race in 'tough decision'".
- ^abcdefgMcGowan, Dan (December 17, 2018)."A way-too-early guide to the 2022 Providence mayoral race".WPRI.RetrievedNovember 14,2020.
- ^Marrocco, Jacob (November 20, 2020)."Conley discusses lessons from primary run, potential 2022 interests".Johnston Sun Rise.
- ^abcdefMcGowan, Dan (November 10, 2020)."The race for Providence mayor is already underway - The Boston Globe".BostonGlobe.Boston Gobe.RetrievedNovember 13,2020.
- ^Machado, Steph (April 13, 2021)."John Igliozzi elected president of Providence City Council".WPRI.WPRI-TV.RetrievedMay 12,2021.
- ^abcdefgh"RI Political Diary: Cuervo Lands Endorsement, Brown Hires New Field Director".
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- ^abcdefghiFitzpatrick, Edward."Rhode Island political news: August".The Boston Globe.RetrievedAugust 28,2022.
- ^"Elorza Stiffs Former Top Staffer Smiley and Endorses Cuervo for Mayor of Providence Instead".golocalprov.August 24, 2022.RetrievedAugust 27,2022.
- ^ab"LaFortune Endorsed by Former Boston Mayor and Latest News From Campaigns".golocalprov.June 7, 2022.RetrievedJune 20,2022.
- ^Seoane, Michael (April 15, 2022)."Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune runs for mayor of Providence on platform of education reform, affordable housing".browndailyherald.The Brown Daily Herald.RetrievedJune 20,2022.
- ^"State Rep. Ranglin-Vassell Endorses LaFortune for Mayor".golocalprov.March 16, 2022.RetrievedJune 20,2022.
- ^"RI Political Diary: LaFortune Lands Boston Councilor's Endorsement, But None From Prov and More".June 25, 2022.RetrievedJune 30,2022.
- ^"Democracy for America: Our Candidates".Democracy for America.RetrievedJuly 16,2022.
- ^abcdefg"Cuervo and Smiley Are Piling Up Endorsements for Mayor".golocalprov.December 15, 2021.RetrievedJune 20,2022.
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