Less Than 12 Percent Turn Out For Primary

Incumbent Gary P. Cote successfully fended off a challenge by two opponents to win the District Four primary runoff election, 350-286, over Richard Polselli, in a non-partisan Town Council vote in District Four. John Houle captured 10.42 percent of votes cast with a total of 74.

Cote, Town Council President the past two years, has also been chairman of the Board of Directors for the Coventry Fire District. Cote campaigned on his record to advocate for "improvements to education and schools and worked for no property tax increase over the last two years."

A major premise of Polselli during his campaign was his assertion that “Coventry owes $100,000,000 in underfunded pension funds to town employees.”

Leonidas Raptakis ran away in the Democratic primary race for the General Assembly seat in District 33, over Dave Gorman, 1,168 to 761. “We are only halfway there,” said Raptakis, of the primary victory.

“I want to turn the state around for business,” Raptakis added. “We are in an unbelievable economic situation. I have seen so many foreclosures and people forced out of their homes in Coventry and West Warwick. We need to create a better business climate like they have done in New Hampshire and other states.”

Dave (Gorman) was gracious in defeat and called me after the results were in to congratulate me on the victory,” noted Raptakis. “I told him that I would like to meet with him soon and hope we could work together to bring back this seat to the Democrats.”

According to several poll station workers, voter turnout was light throughout Primary Day in Coventry, as just 2,882 votes were cast out of a possible 24,134, or 11.94 percent of the total of registered voters in the town.

Democrats, who outnumber all other registered voters in town, including Republicans and non-affiliated voters (6528 to 5543), cast 2,305 votes, or 80 percent of the total.

In the area's closest races, Lauri Archambault nudged out Jon Restivo, 51-48, in the Democratic election for a General Assembly Seat in District 40.

Incumbent James Langevin, in office since 2000, showed his strength in Coventry by more than doubling up his opponent, John O. Matson, 1,492-682, in the challenge to keep a democratic seat as representative in District 2.  For the Republicans, Michael Riley, who captured almost 60 percent of the vote (304), will square off against Langevin in November for the coveted congressional seat.