Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza and his predecessor, Angel Taveras, boosted Gonzalo Cuervo’s campaign for City Hall Wednesday by endorsing him as what they call the best candidate in the race.
Speaking at Dexter Park in the city’s Armory District, Elorza touted Cuervo as a well-rounded candidate with city and state government experience and strong community roots.
“Gonzalo shares a life perspective that truly encompasses the whole range, from the perspective of an immigrant to someone who has had leadership positions in top levels of government,” Elorza said. “You don’t make it from there to there without learning some very important lessons and things along the way.”
Taveras served as mayor from 2011 to 2015 and is now a lawyer in private practice. He cited the words of another Cuervo supporter, Dr. Annie De Groot: “She said in part, ‘Gonzalo knows the neighborhoods — all of them — and he knows the inside of City Hall. He has my trust.’ And as I read it, I said, wow, she’s right. That’s what I want people to know … He can enjoy music in the park in Blackstone Boulevard or dance a merengue on Broad Street.”
The top job at City Hall is becoming open since term limits prevent Elorza from seeking re-election.
Taveras and Elorza praised Cuervo for assembling a citywide coalition.
The Sept. 13 mayoral primary featuring Cuervo, Brett Smiley and Nirva LaFortune will decide the race, since there are no other general election candidates.
Smiley served in a high-level role in the Elorza administration before becoming chief of staff, and later, head of the state Department of Administration, for then-Gov. Gina Raimondo.
In a statement, Smiley spokeswoman Emily Crowell said Smiley remains focused on his plan to improve basic services — “finally fixing our roads and sidewalks, restoring a sense of safety to our streets, spearheading robust economic development and affordable housing efforts, and delivering long-overdue results for our students. This vision continues to resonate with voters in every neighborhood.”
LaFortune, the current Ward 3 city councilor, points to her lived experience as someone who came to Rhode Island after being born in Haiti, as well as her work on education and other issues.
In a statement, her campaign said, “Regardless of today’s endorsement, one thing remains true: for as long as Nirva’s two opponents have served in the highest levels of government, children have not received the quality of education they deserve and basic city services have not been provided. Providence residents are ready for change.”
Cuervo, whose family came to Rhode Island from Colombia, served as chief of staff for part of Taveras’ time as mayor and later served in the same role for Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea.
No public polls have been done on the state of the race. An internal poll described by Elorza to The Boston Globe in late July showed Brett Smiley with 31% of the support, Cuervo with 26% and Ward 3 City Councilor Nirva LaFortune with 20%.
Elorza’s endorsement of Cuervo comes almost exactly 8 years after Smiley ended his first run for mayor and endorsed Elorza, helping him to beat then-City Council president Michael Solomon in a Democratic primary.
During a Q&A with reporters, Elorza praised Smiley and LaFortune as smart, hard-working and honest. Without mentioning Buddy Cianci, Elorza said the city has come a long way from a shadier brand of politics. Elorza beat Cianci in 2014 and Cianci died two years later.
At the same time, Elorza said, he decided to vote for Cuervo and thought it made sense to share his position. “I plan to do whatever I can to be helpful to Gonzalo and his team,” he said.
Ian Donnis can be reached at idonnis@ripr.org
