Mayoral elections in Providence, Rhode Island
Elections are held in Providence, Rhode Island to elect the city's mayor. Such elections are regularly scheduled to be held in United States midterm election years.
| Elections in Rhode Island |
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1998
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The 1998 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral election was held on November 3, 1998. It saw the reelection of Buddy Cianci to 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
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The 2002 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral election was held on November 5, 2002. It saw the election of Democratic nominee David Cicilline in a landslide victory.
Cicilline was openly gay. After Cicilline took office, Providence became largest city in the United States at the time to have had an openly LGBTQ mayor (a distinction which had, beforehand, belonged to Tempe, Arizona since its election of Neil Giuliano).[2][3]
Democratic primary
The Democratic Party held its primary election on September 10, 2002.[4]
Candidates
- David Cicilline, member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives since 1995
- Joseph R. Paolino Jr., former mayor of Providence (1984–1991) and former United States ambassador to Malta (1994–1996)
- David V. Igliozzi, Rhode Island state senator and former Providence city councilor[4]
- Kevin McKenna, attorney[4]
- Withdrew
- Thomas O'Connor[5]
Polls
| 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
David Ciciline and Kevin McKenna launched their campaigns prior to the June conviction of incumbent mayor Buddy 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 revitalize blighted areas of the city by cleaning up their parks and schools, and by increasing community police officers.[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
| 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 | ||
Candidates
- David Cicilline (Democrat), member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives since 1995
- Greg Gerritt (Green)[5]
- David Talin (Republican)[5]
- Christopher Young (independent)[5]
- Withdrew
Campaigning
It was anticipated that the winner of the Democratic Party primary would be the races frontrunner in the strongly Democratic city's mayoral race.[4]
The sexuality of Cecilline, vying to become the city's first openly homosexual mayor, 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
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
| 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
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The 2006 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral election was held on November 7, 2006. It saw the reelection of incumbent Democrat David Cicilline.
Democratic primary
The Democratic Party's primary election was held on September 12, 2006.[10]
Candidates
- David Cicilline, incumbent mayor since 2003
- Christopher F. Young, perennial candidate (including as the Reform nominee for United States Senate in 2000 and as a candidate for mayor in 2002)
Results
| 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
Cicilline faced Republican nominee Daniel S. Harrop III, who had previously run for state house in 2002 as a Libertarian and 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
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The 2010 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral election was held on November 2, 2010. The election saw the election of Angel Taveras.
Taveras became the first Hispanic mayor of the city and the third elected and fourth serving Dominican-American mayor in the United States.[12]
Incumbent David Cicilline did not seek reelection, instead opting to run in the 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]
Results
| 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% | |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Angel Taveras | 27,528 | 82.1% | |
| Independent | Jonathan P. Scott | 6,006 | 17.9% | |
2014
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The 2014 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral election was held on November 4, 2014. The election saw the election of Jorge Elorza.
Incumbent Angel Taveras did not seek reelection, and instead (unsuccessfully) sought the Democratic nomination in the coinciding Rhode Island gubernatorial election.
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary was held on September 9, 2014.
Results
Despite still appearing on the ballot, Brett Smiley had withdrawn and endorsed Elorza before the primary was held.[16]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jorge O. Elorza | 11,051 | 48.7% | |
| Democratic | Michael A. Solomon | 9,870 | 43.5% | |
| Democratic | Christopher F. Young | 1,049 | 4.6% | |
| Democratic | Brett Peter Smiley | 745 | 3.3% | |
General election
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 President Barack 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
| 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
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The 2018 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral election was held on November 6, 2018. The election saw the reelection of Jorge Elorza.
Democratic primary
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
| 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
| 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% | |
Results
| 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
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The 2022 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral election will be held on November 8, 2022.
Since Providence limits mayors to two consecutive terms,[26] incumbent mayor Jorge Elorza, a Democrat, is term-limited and thus, cannot run for re-election to a 3rd consecutive term in office.[27]
Democratic primary
The field for the Democratic nomination is anticipated to be very crowded.[28] This is, in part, attributable to the fact that a majority of the Providence City Council will be term-limited out in 2022, freeing up a lot of city council members to run for mayor.[29]
Declared
The following individuals have officially launched a campaign for mayor:
- Gonzalo Cuervo, former deputy secretary of state and former chief of staff to Secretary of State of Rhode Island Nellie Gorbea[30][31][32]
- Nirva LaFortune, Providence city councilor[33]
- Brett Smiley, former Rhode Island director of administration and 2014 mayoral candidate[34][35][36]
- Michael Solomon, former Providence City Council president and 2014 mayoral candidate[37][27]
Potential
The following individuals have received press speculation as potential candidates:
- Lorne Adrian, businessman and 2014 independent mayoral candidate[27][38]
- Dylan Conley, candidate for United States House of Representatives in 2020[39]
- Kobi Dennis, community activist and 2018 mayoral candidate[27][28][38]
- Grace Diaz, Rhode Island state representative[27][28][38]
- Raymond Hull, Rhode Island state representative[28][38]
- John Igliozzi, Providence City Council president[27][28][38][40]
- John J. Lombardi, Rhode Island state representative, former acting mayor, and 2010 mayoral candidate[27][28][38]
- David Salvatore, city councilor[27][28][38]
Endorsements
- State legislators
- Jose Batista, state representative[41]
- Grace Diaz, state representative[41]
- Maryellen Goodwin, state senator[41]
- Ana Quezada, state senator[41]
- Ramon Perez, state representative[41]
- Local politicians
- Angel Taveras, former mayor of Providence (2011-2015)[41]
References
- "Municipal Results Providence RI GENERAL ELECTION, November 3, 1998". elections.ri.gov. Rhode Island Board of Elections. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- "2002 - Explore a Year in LGBTQ History | Pride & Progress". www.prideandprogress.org. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- "Providence, R.I., elects gay mayor (6882)". www.advocate.com. November 7, 2002. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- "Convicted Mayor Out of Favor, Not His Issues". Newspapers.com. Los Angeles Times. The Associated Press. September 5, 2002. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- "Seven make ballot for mayoral race". Newspapers.com. The Boston Globe. July 16, 2002. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- "Election Results". Rhode Island Board of Elections. September 10, 2002. Archived from the original on February 27, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
- "2002 Primary Turnout". www.elections.state.ri. Rhode Island Board of Elections. Archived from the original on April 6, 2003.
- "Providence City Survey, Sept. 2002". www.insidepolitics.org. 2002. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- "Rhode Island Election Results". Rhode Island State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on June 23, 2003.
- "Rhode Island Election Results". www.elections.ri.gov. Rhode Island Board of Elections. Archived from the original on September 23, 2006.
- "Election Results". Rhode Island Board of Elections.
- Smith, Michelle R. (January 3, 2011). "New Providence Mayor Angel Taveras sworn in". The Boston Globe. Associated Press. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
- Winograd, Max (December 8, 2006). "Providence votes to establish term limits for council members, mayor". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- "Mayor CITY OF PROVIDENCE". September 23, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- "Mayor CITY OF PROVIDENCE". December 17, 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
- McGowan, Dan (November 10, 2020). "The race for Providence mayor is already underway - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- "Mayor CITY OF PROVIDENCE". September 26, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
- Smith, Michelle R. (October 27, 2014). "Obama endorses Democrat in Providence mayoral race". San Diego Union-Tribune. The Associated Press. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- Hill, John (July 14, 2014). "Lorne Adrain drops out of Providence mayoral race". providencejournal.com. Providence Journal. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- Hill, John (July 16, 2014). "providencejournal.com". www.providencejournal.com. Providence Journal. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- "Mayor CITY OF PROVIDENCE". December 3, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
- "Elorza wins Democratic nomination for Providence mayor". WPRI. September 12, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- "Mayor CITY OF PROVIDENCE". September 19, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- Fenton, Josh (April 24, 2018). "EXCLUSIVE: Poll Shows Elorza Vulnerable in Re-Election Bid for Providence Mayor". GoLocalProv. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- "Mayor CITY OF PROVIDENCE". November 21, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- Winograd, Max (December 8, 2006). "Providence votes to establish term limits for council members, mayor". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- McGowan, Dan (November 25, 2019). "Who isn't running for Providence mayor in 2022? - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- McGowan, Dan (November 10, 2020). "The race for Providence mayor is already underway - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Boston Gobe. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- Fenton, Josh (June 14, 2019). "Behind the Providence Budget Battle — Mayoral Election 2022, East Side vs. The Rest of the City". GoLocalProv. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
- Fenton, Josh (December 21, 2020). "NEW: Top Democratic Staffer Cuervo Makes 2022 Providence Mayoral Bid Official UPDATED". GoLocalProv. Retrieved January 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. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- "Pulse of Providence Ep. 12: Gonzalo Cuervo". WPRI. July 19, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- "Nirva LaFortune announces run for Providence mayor". WPRI.com. September 27, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
- Machado, Steph (October 21, 2020). "Smiley moves toward Providence mayoral run". WPRI.com. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
- Machado, Steph (March 22, 2021). "Pulse of Providence Ep. 10: Brett Smiley". WPRI.com. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- Turner, Dominique (February 10, 2021). "Brett Smiley steps down as Department of Administration director". abc6.com. WLNE-TV. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- Nagle, Kate (June 10, 2021). "EXCLUSIVE: Solomon to Run for Mayor of Providence in 2022". GoLocalProv. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
- McGowan, Dan (December 17, 2018). "A way-too-early guide to the 2022 Providence mayoral race". WPRI.com. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
- Marrocco, Jacob (November 20, 2020). "Conley discusses lessons from primary run, potential 2022 interests". Johnston Sun Rise.
- Machado, Steph (April 13, 2021). "John Igliozzi elected president of Providence City Council". WPRI.com. WPRI-TV. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
- "RI Political Diary: Cuervo Lands Endorsement, Brown Hires New Field Director".
- Fenton, Josh (June 28, 2021). "Smiley Receives Endorsement From LGBTQ Victory Fund". GoLocalProv. Retrieved July 12, 2021.