PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Providence City Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune officially announced her campaign for mayor of Providence in 2022.
LaFortune, a Democrat who represents Ward 3 on the City Council, had been fundraising for a potential run for months.
“Our city deserves a leader that will work to create opportunities for every resident,” LaFortune said in a news release.
At her campaign announcement at the Southside Cultural Center on Sunday, she spoke about Providence’s older housing stock and a risk of lead poisoning, according to her campaign, which she said she suffered from as a child.
”Our children and families deserve to be in healthy homes,” LaFortune said. “There is no reason any child in our city should not have a safe roof over their heads.”
LaFortune, a Haitian immigrant, faces announced candidates Brett Smiley and Gonzalo Cuervo in the Democratic primary. Michael Solomon, the former City Council president, is also gearing up for a run.
First elected to the City Council in a special election in 2017 following the recall of Kevin Jackson, LaFortune was re-elected to a full four-year term in 2018.
Her campaign account has $130,000 on hand, placing her behind Smiley ($350,000), Solomon ($250,000 loaned to himself) and Cuervo ($193,000) in funds for the race.
If elected, Lafortune would be the first woman and first Black person to be mayor of Providence.
