DaSilva is re-elected as East Providence mayor, school bond questions pass overwhelmingly

Amore becomes fourth modern day city resident to win state-wide office, is elected Secretary of State

By Mike Rego
Posted 11/8/22

EAST PROVIDENCE — Tabbed by residents as the city’s first-ever elected mayor in 2018, Bob DaSilva was by an overwhelming margin apparently re-elected in 2022 to a second four-year term …

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DaSilva is re-elected as East Providence mayor, school bond questions pass overwhelmingly

Amore becomes fourth modern day city resident to win state-wide office, is elected Secretary of State

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — Tabbed by residents as the city’s first-ever elected mayor in 2018, Bob DaSilva was by an overwhelming margin apparently re-elected in 2022 to a second four-year term Tuesday night, Nov. 8.

(View the latest results at https://www.ri.gov/election/results/2022/general_election/east_providence/#)

DaSilva easily thwarted the challenge of John Rossi, similar to the results between the two candidates during the primary election in September.

“We’re excited to see the results. I think it’s a testament to what we’ve been doing for the last four years,” said DaSilva as the last of the city-wide results were coming in Tuesday night. “I think the residents of East Providence realize we’ve been moving the city in the right direction. I’m just proud of my entire team for all the work they did to help us get the result we did.

“I also want to thank the residents of East Providence. And hopefully we can see where those people who voted against us, where we’re not satisfying them, and see what we can do to find a happy medium.”

Down ballot, there were three likely upsets of differing levels, two on the City Council and one for School Committee.

Frank Fogarty appears to have narrowly edged incumbent Nate Cahoon for the Ward 3 council seat while Rick Lawson, likewise, looks to have unseated Ricardo Mourato in the Ward 4 race.

“I believe knocking on doors was the key,” said Lawson, a life-long resident of the section, of his contest with Mourato in the Riverside district. “Being able to come face to face with voters and have conversations was invaluable.”

The stunner of the night was delivered by Ryan Queenan,  who had little trouble dispatching long-time East Providence pol Charlie Tsonos for the Ward 1 School Committee chair.

In all, it was a good night for most candidates in city who were either directly or tacitly aligned with DaSilva while on the flip side it wasn’t the pleasantest of evenings for the Rossi contingent, who ran under the monicker “The People’s Party.”

More city notes
On the council, one-term incumbent Bob Rodericks fended off the challenge of Brian Castro to retained his At-Large seat, while Frank Rego, by what proved the largest margin of all in-city races, just about doubled the total of Ed Wencis in a competition of newcomers for the open Ward 1 seat left vacated by Bob Britto, who was the victor as a Democrat in his pursuit of the District 18 State Senate seat.

"It was a lifetime of living in Ward 1 and being active in the community along with my family," Rego said of he won. "It was also a classic grassroots campaign of knocking on doors and listening to constituents while also using modern day elements like social media to get our message out."

On the committee, besides Queenan, first-term incumbents Max Brandle and Jenni Azanero were re-elected from Wards 2 and 3, respectively. Jessica Beauchaine becomes the long-serving member of the body after she was re-elected to a fifth term from Ward 4. It should be noted School Committee members will once again serve two-year terms despite a referenda item passed by voters initiating four-year terms back in 2012.

As for “The People’s Party,” besides Fogarty, Anna Sousa was returned for a third term on the council from Ward 2 while Anthony Ferreira, himself an upset victim to Brandle last cycle, defeated Miles Bonalewicz for the At-Large School Committee seat vacated by retiring five-term incumbent Joel Monteiro..

That’s “Amore”
As for state offices, Gregg Amore, a five-term incumbent Democratic State Rep who opted against a sixth term, was the far and away winner in his race with Republican and former Providence City Councilor Pat Cortellessa to become the next Secretary of State for Rhode Island.

“I am truly humbled and honored to have been chosen by the voters of Rhode Island to serve as our next Secretary of State. My passion for and experience in civic engagement and government, my heartfelt belief in public service, instilled in me by my parents, and a deep reverence for the protection of the most fundamental right in our democracy – the right to vote – is what inspired me to run for this office,” Amore said.

Amore, first voted into elected office in November 2012, is currently the East Providence School District Director of Athletics. He was previously a baseball and hockey coach for the Townies and was Social Studies teacher at the high school for 26 years. He ran unopposed and was re-elected to the District 65 seat, comprising Kent Heights and portions of Riverside, for a fifth team in 2020.

Amore becomes the first city native to win state-wide office since Paul Tavares was elected General Treasurer in 1998 and served to 2006.

Robert Weygand, born in Attleboro, Mass., ran state-wide for lieutenant governor, and won in 1993, after representing East Providence in the General Assembly from the former House District 84, also comprising Kent Heights, from 1985-1953.

Patrick Lynch, a transplant from neighboring Pawtucket, won election as Rhode Island's attorney general at the 2002 election while a resident of the city's Rumford section. He served for eight years, term-limited, until 2010.

More state races
As for other Smith Hill related races, Democrat Val Lawson was returned for a third term as State Senator from District 14 while newcomer Pam Lauria was elected as a Democrat to take over as the Senator from District 32 from the retired Cindy Coyne.

In the lower chamber, Democrat Katherine Kazarian handily won a sixth term as the State Rep from District 63 and another Dem, Brianna Henries, was tapped for a second term from District 64.

The “blue” winners continued as Matt Dawson, a Democrat running for the first time, was selected to replace Amore as the District 65 rep. And in District 66, Democratic newcomer Jennifer Boylan earned a first team in the General Assembly.

Referenda items
As voters did in 2018 when asked to support the construction of a new high school, Townies by a 3-to-1 margin approved a $148 million bond referendum for the reconstruction/renovation of Martin Middle School and Waddington Elementary School.

Residents, by a lesser margin, authorized making East Providence available for licensing marijuana businesses.

As for the state-wide items, again, the city by far backed Question 1 on $100 million in bonds for the University of Rhode Island Bay Campus, Question 2 on $250 million in school construction bonds which is closely tied to the one for Martin and Waddington in city and Question 3 on $50 million for a host of “green” economy endeavors.

More state numbers
Townies were part of the majority landslide wins for Democrats besides Amore at the top of the state ticket.

Dan McKee doubled up Ashley Kalus for governor as did incumbent Peter Neronha in his second term for Attorney General and James Diossa did in winning his first run at General Treasurer.

Sabina Matos, who was appointed and had the backing of McKee, won the city and her race for lieutenant governor by a much less margin than the others.

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.