Mayoral elections in Providence, Rhode Island
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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 before 1998
1998
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November 3, 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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November 5, 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
- David V. Igliozzi, Rhode Island state senator and former Providence city councilor[4]
- Kevin McKenna, attorney[4]
- Joseph R. Paolino Jr., former mayor of Providence (1984–1991) and former United States ambassador to Malta (1994–1996)
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 | ||
General election
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 race's 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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November 7, 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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November 2, 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]
Democratic primary
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% | |
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Angel Taveras | 27,528 | 82.1% | |
| Independent | Jonathan P. Scott | 6,006 | 17.9% | |
2014
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November 4, 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 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
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]
Cianci had previously served as mayor 1975–84 and 1991–2002, each time being ousted due to criminal convictions. A prominent issue was made of his past convictions. Cianci characterized Elorza as inexperienced, and called a possible return to the mayoralty for a third tenure as a "last rodeo" for himself.[21]
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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November 6, 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.[23]
Elorza had been endorsed by the party organization ahead of the primary.[24]
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[25] | 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% | |
General election
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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November 8, 2022
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The 2022 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral election was held on November 8, 2022.
Since Providence limits mayors to two consecutive terms,[13] incumbent mayor Jorge Elorza, a Democrat, was term-limited and thus could not run for reelection to a third consecutive term in office.[27]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Brett Smiley, former Rhode Island director of administration and 2014 mayoral candidate[28][29][30]
Eliminated in primary
- Gonzalo Cuervo, former deputy secretary of state and former chief of staff to Secretary of State of Rhode Island Nellie Gorbea[31][32][33]
- Nirva LaFortune, Providence city councilor[34]
Withdrew
Declined
- Lorne Adrian, businessman and 2014 independent mayoral candidate[27][37]
- Dylan Conley, candidate for United States House of Representatives in 2020[38]
- Kobi Dennis, community activist and 2018 mayoral candidate[27][39][37]
- Grace Diaz, Rhode Island state representative[27][39][37] (endorsed Cuervo)
- Raymond Hull, Rhode Island state representative[39][37]
- John Igliozzi, Providence City Council president[27][39][37][40]
- John J. Lombardi, Rhode Island state representative, former acting mayor, and 2010 mayoral candidate[27][39][37]
- David Salvatore, city councilor[27][39][37]
Endorsements
State legislators
- Jose Batista, state representative[41]
- Sam Bell, state senator[42]
- Grace Diaz, state representative[41]
- Maryellen Goodwin, state senator[41]
- Tiara Mack, state senator[43]
- Ramon Perez, state representative[41]
- Ana Quezada, state senator[41]
- David Morales, state representative[44]
Local officials
- Jorge Elorza, mayor of Providence[45]
- Mary Kay Harris, member of the Providence city council from Ward 11[46]
- Kat Kerwin, member of the Providence city council[41]
- Rachel Miller, member of the Providence city council[41]
- Angel Taveras, former mayor of Providence (2011–2015)[41]
Organizations
- Rhode Island Latino PAC[44]
Labor unions
State legislators
- Rebecca Kislak, state representative[47]
- Marcia Ranglin-Vassell, state representative[48]
- Sam Zurier, state senator[44]
Mayors
Local officials
- Ruthzee Louijeune, member of the Boston City Council[49]
Organizations
- The Collective PAC[44]
- Democracy for America[50]
- EMILY's list[44]
- Rhode Island Democratic Women's Caucus[44]
- Vote Pro-Choice[44]
Statewide officials
- Charles J. Fogarty, former Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island (1999–2007)[51]
State legislators
- Edith Ajello, state representative[51]
- Rhoda Perry, former state senator[51]
- Myrth York, former state senator[51]
Local officials
- Michael Correia, Providence city councilman[51]
- JoAnn Ryan, Providence city councilwoman[51]
- Michael Solomon, former Providence city council president and withdrawn candidate in this election[52]
- James Taylor, Providence city councilman[51]
- Oscar Vargas, Providence city councilman from the 15th ward[53]
Organizations
Results
| 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% | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brett Smiley (uncontested) | |||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
External links
Official campaign websites
2026
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November 3, 2026
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The 2026 Providence, Rhode Island mayoral election will be held on November 3, 2026.
Incumbent mayor Brett Smiley, a Democrat, is running for a second consecutive term.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Michael English, paralegal[56]
- David Morales, state representative from the 7th district (2021–present)[57]
- Brett Smiley, incumbent mayor[57]
Independents
Candidates
Declared
- Allen Waters, investment consultant and Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 2020[58]
External links
Official campaign websites