Tiverton Councilman Announces Dist. 11 Senate Bid

Tiverton Town Councilor Brett Pelletier has announced his candidacy for the vacant Dist. 11 seat in the Rhode Island Senate.

Pelletier, a lifelong Tiverton resident and 2001 graduate of Tiverton High School, said he wants to “expand the scope of my commitment to public service and provide the residents of Tiverton, Bristol and Portsmouth with passionate and diligent representation in the Senate.”

The Senate seat opened up after former Republican Sen. Christopher Ottiano announced his resignation to focus on a new high-profile job at Neighborhood Health Plan.

Pelleter was first elected to the Town Council in 2010 and has been reelected twice since and has past political experience from work as a campaign intern with the John Kerry for President campaign and an intern in the Boston office of the late Sen. Edward W. Kennedy.

“My only agenda is a responsible and sustainable path forward for the region, and for the State of Rhode Island,” Pelletier said.

During his time on the council, Pelletier has focused on economic development and environmental issues and has served as council liaison for a number of local boards and commissions, including the Planning Board, Harbor & Coastal Waters Management, Historic Preservation Advisory Committee, Library Board, and the Tax Exemption Review Committee.

A Democrat, Pelletier is looking at a primary challenge. Portsmouth Town Councilor James Seveney announced his candidacy last week.

The special election is planned for Jan. 5 and the primary will be on Dec. 1.

Pelletier is a senior real estate analyst with Boston-based Kirk & Company: Real Estate Counselors. He joined the company in 2005.

If elected, the Town Council would see a vacancy. That seat would be filled by the next-highest vote getter in the last election: Randy Lebeau.