Projo Politics Blog

Since Stephen P. Laffey was defeated in the Republican U.S. Senate primary against Lincoln D. Chafee, he has made himself scarce, at least by his standards.

But his apparent retreat from public view does not signal an imminent exodus from Cranston, Laffey said in an interview with The Journal late last week.

Though he would not discuss his political or professional aspirations, he said he had no plans to sell his house on Tallman Ave. and move out of state or to Hopkinton, where he owns a cabin on a 28-acre estate off Stubtown Road.

“I live at 63 Tallman Ave.,” Laffey said by telephone. “That’s where I’ll be living next month and the month after and the month after.”

In fact, the one-bedroom, 1,500-square-foot log cabin in Hopkinton is up for sale, listed for $595,000. The house, built beside miles of walking trails, is not designed to accommodate Laffey’s wife, Kelly, and their five children, he said.

Laffey said he has no interest in leaving Cranston, despite a poor showing locally in the Republican primary and the defeat of his hand-picked successor, Republican Allan W. Fung, in the November mayoral contest.

Though he said he would probably accept a job in the private sector, he pledged to keep a close eye on municipal affairs.

More on the interview in tomorrow's Journal.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

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