Brett Smiley has won the Democratic primary for mayor of Providence with nearly 42% of the vote. With no Independent or Republican candidates on the ballot, the East Side resident will serve as the city’s next mayor after the general election in November.
“Eighteen months ago, I pledged to be the quality of life mayor for every citizen in Providence,” Smiley said in his victory speech. “Well, that starts right now.”
Smiley comes to the role after working as the director of administration and chief of staff for former governor Gina Raimondo. He previously ran for mayor in 2014, before pulling out of the race to join Mayor Jorge Elorza’s administration as the chief operating officer at City Hall.
Outgoing Mayor Elorza told the Public’s Radio on Tuesday night that he’s leaving Smiley with a tough set of problems to address in the city, with affordability chief among them.
“It’s incredibly expensive to live in the city, especially for people that don’t own property,” Elorza said. “How do we find a way to make it affordable, so that what makes Providence special can continue to be part of our city?”
Smiley campaigned on addressing basic needs like fixing potholes and improving snow removal. He’s also pushed for the city to regain control of its public school system, improve public safety, and build affordable housing.
“It’s time to make Providence the epicenter for new economic development, to do it with aggressive new affordable housing and with good development,” Smiley said Tuesday night.
After the downpour that flooded I-95 for several hours in early September, Smiley was quick to release an infrastructure plan calling for, among other things, better stormwater infrastructure, as well as steps to implement better oversight and management of city contractors tasked with critical jobs like snow plowing and road work.
“It’s Providence; it snows here,” Smiley said on election night. “Let’s not be so surprised every time it happens.”
After the results became clear, Smiley said Mayor Elorza called to congratulate him and ensure a smooth transition between administrations. Elorza had endorsed Gonzalo Cuervo, one of Smiley’s two opponents. Cuervo, former deputy secretary of state, won just over 36% of the vote. City Councilor Nirva LaFortune won nearly 22% of the vote.
Ben Berke contributed to this report.
