Brett Smiley Declares Victory In Providence Mayoral Primary Election

PROVIDENCE, RI — Brett Smiley has declared victory in the Providence mayoral primary elections, which will ultimately serve as the de facto general election, as no GOP candidate is running.

Providence had crucial local races on Tuesday, which included the city's next mayor and multiple spots on the city council.

In the race for mayor, Gov. Gina Raimondo's former chief of staff Smiley squared off against Ward 3 City Councilor Nirva LaFortune and Nellie Gorbea's former Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary of State Gonzalo Cuervo.

According to the Providence Journal, Smiley declared victory during a speech at Narragansett Beer's Providence Brewery, and WPRI declared him the winner with the Associated Press reporting nearly 99 percent of the vote.

According to WPRI's Steph Machado, Cuervo called Smiley around 11 p.m. to concede the race.

LaFortune tweeted at 9:35 p.m. that she also called the soon-to-be mayor.

"I've called the Mayor-elect @brettpsmiley to congratulate him on a race well run," she said.

"I wish him and our City the very best."

Here's what the vote total looks like with nearly 99 percent of the vote reported, according to the Associated Press:

• Brett Smiley — 8,653
• Gonzalo Cuervo — 7,476
• Nirva LaFortune — 4,526

Patch will update this story with election results as they become available. Check back throughout the night for the latest news.

In the race for city council, a few races including incumbents are uncontested. That includes Wards 1, 2, 8 and 13, meaning that John Goncalves, Helen Anthony, James Taylor and Rachel Miller will keep their seat.

Jorge Porras, a Republican candidate in Ward 6, is also set to appear on the general election ballot after he ran unopposed in the primary. Wards 3, 9, 11 and 12 will also have an Independent candidate on the ballot this general election season.

However, there are plenty of contested primary races, mostly on Democratic ballots across the city. For more on that primary, click here: Providence Council Primary 2022 Election Results: Incumbents Hold