Brett Smiley, the openly gay chief of staff for Providence, Rhode Island’s Former Mayor Gina Raimondo, won the primary election to become the Democratic nominee for Providence mayor.
Smiley “effectively clinch[ed] the office as there are no Republicans or independents running in the general election,” reports Providence-based WPRI-TV 12.
Reports WPRI.com:
Smiley defeated Gonzalo Cuervo and Nirva LaFortune in the three-way race for the wide-open seat. Incumbent Mayor Jorge Elorza could not run for reelection due to term limits.
“I have said throughout this campaign that I will be a mayor for the entire city,” Smiley said in a victory speech at the Narragansett Brewery in Providence.
Smiley won 42% of the vote as of midnight Tuesday night, while Cuervo had 36% and LaFortune won 22%, according to the unofficial results from the Board of Elections.
In a live interview on 12 News, Smiley said his priorities will include improving public schools, public safety and basic city services such as snow removal.
It was the second time Smiley ran for mayor; his first run in 2014 was unsuccessful, and he ultimately dropped out to endorse Elorza, who won the race.
Read the complete WPRI-TV 12 story here.
Not a subscriber? Sign up today for a free subscription to Boston Spirit magazine, New England’s premier LGBT magazine. We will send you a copy of Boston Spirit 6 times per year and we never sell/rent our subscriber information. Click HERE to sign up!
