Well this time it's willingly, but Patrick Kennedy's decision not to seek a 9th consecutive term in the House will end the Kennedy family legacy in Washington. It didn't take long for two Democrats to throw their hat in the ring though. According to the Associated Press, Providence Mayor David Cicilline and former Democratic Party chairman Bill Lynch formally announced their candidacy yesterday.
Well this time it's willingly, but Patrick Kennedy's decision not to seek a 9th consecutive term in the House will end the Kennedy family legacy in Washington. It didn't take long for two Democrats to throw their hat in the ring though. According to the Associated Press, Providence Mayor David Cicilline and former Democratic Party chairman Bill Lynch formally announced their candidacy yesterday.
As the article states, Mayor Cicilline became the state's first openly gay politician to be elected to the [updated] Providence Mayor's office in 2002. He was also fulfilling a role that was plagued by then-Mayor Buddy Cianci's corruption scandal. Although Providence loved Buddy Cianci until that point, Cicilline had the daunting task of cleaning up Providence politics and restoring vibrancy to the city. Unlike the state's top officer, Republican Governor Don Carcieri, Cicilline has done a commendable job at building up the city's reputation. The Wall Street Journal recently called Providence one of the top ten up-and-coming global tourist destinations. His Web site also notes that "his dedication to ethics in government won him Common Cause’s #1 ranking."
He's done a great job representing the city of Providence. I think he is a candidate that progressive Democrats can soundly put their name behind in the fall. But no matter which Democrat gets the nomination, they will surely be better than the staunch, hard nosed, conservative Governor in the state. I think he's justtt smart enough to stay out of this Congressional race though.