Questions Buddy Cianci Must Answer to be Providence’s Next Mayor
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Buddy III. Buddy 3.0. Whatever term is being used for former Providence Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci's look for a third ascent to the position, there are a few areas he needs to address before voters take to the voting booths -- if he thinks he can win.
As part of GoLocal's weekly look at "questions a candidate needs to answer" before they can consider winning their race, the spotlight of this week's analsysis of key inquiries is the last entrant to the Providence Mayoral race, Buddy Cianci.
SLIDES: Questions Buddy Will Have to Answer to be Mayor -- Again -- BELOW
Buddy first gained the Mayor's post in 1974 at the age of 33, when he defeated Mayor Joseph Doorley as a Republican. He won the race in 1982 as an Independent, but resigned in 1984 after pleading no-contest to assaulting an acquaintance of his wife.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThen came Buddy II in 1990, when the former Mayor came back, and in the process snagged the Baby Bruins, built the mall, moved rivers and lit them on fire -- and in 2001 was indicted on 27 charges including extortion, bribery, and fraud. Cianci was only convicted on one (racketeering conspiracy), which was enough to put him in the federal pen for five years.
The makings of Buddy 3.0 began to take shape when Cianci was released from prison, annd took to the airwaves for his popular talk radio show in 2007. Cianci officially became eligible to run again three years following the end of his probation in 2012 -- and by then the seeds were planted for a possible third look at City Hall, which Cianci made official on June 25 of this year when he filed papers -- on the last possible day.
A New Providence -- A New Buddy?
Cianci will now face a field that includes Republican Daniel Harrop and the winner of the Democratic primary between City Council President Michael Solomon, Jorge Elorza, and Brett Smiley.
Cianci heeded the media's call immediately following his entrance into the race (and sat down with GoLocal for a one-on-one interview), but since then has kept a relatively low profile (if you call raising $200k in one week "low"), as the Democrats must first duke it out in the primary before the final field is set.
There's talk that the Providence of 2014 is not the Providence of Buddy's glory days. Different demographics. Different financial constraints. But before voters ultimately decide who they want to take the helm of the state's capital city in 2015, here are five key questions Buddy's campaign needs to address before the former Mayor can assume a fifth decade of holding the city's top office.
Related Slideshow: Questions Buddy Cianci Must Answer to be Providence’s Next Mayor
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