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December 18, 2007

Newport voters cast ballots today in special election

NEWPORT — Voters will decide today who will fill the legislative seat of Paul W. Crowley, who died Sept. 25 as the longest serving Democratic in the state House of Representatives.

The race for Newport’s Dist. 75 seat pits Democrat J. Clement “Bud” Cicilline, head of a mental-health agency and a former state senator, against Republican Steven J. Coaty, a lawyer with a local practice who is making his first bid for public office in Rhode Island.

The polls for this special election will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

While the election is a two-way race, the name of a third candidate will appear on the ballot. James Stanek, an independent, declared his candidacy and returned the necessary paperwork to join the race. But last week he announced he was withdrawing for personal reasons.

Richard E. O’Neill, the city’s clerk of canvassing, said that Stanek formally notified the city of his withdrawal from the race. But, he said, “It happened so late everything was already printed.” As a result, if any ballots are cast for Stanek, “The votes won’t count,” he said.

Crowley died at 57 after a lengthy struggle with melanoma. The secretary of state’s office announced that a special election to fill the seat would be held today, following state law that requires that an election be held 70 to 90 days after an assembly member’s death.

In addition to Cicilline, Coaty and Stanek, Democrat David R. Carlin III returned declaration papers. Cicilline easily defeated Carlin in a primary on Nov. 13.

Cicilline, 67, is president and CEO of the nonprofit Newport County Community Mental Health Center, where he’s worked for 39 years. He has also been a part-time professor at the Community College of Rhode Island for 30 years. He served on the School Committee for 12 years until 1991 and in the Senate from 1992 to 2002. He is remarried to Noriana Royles, lives on Rhode Island Avenue and has six grown children.

Coaty, 47, is an attorney with a practice in Middletown. The former Navy JAG left the service in 1999 after 10 years and chose to remain in Newport, on Red Cross Avenue, to raise his four children. His wife, Mary, works at St. Michael’s Country Day School, where three of their children are enrolled. The oldest is in college.

Seven of the city’s 13 voting precincts will be open today. The ones that will not open are located in the northeast part of the city, the only area of Newport that does not fall within Dist. 75. Two polling places are at local schools, but O’Neill said they will not disrupt classes.

The following are the polling places: St. John Church Hall, Willow Street (Ward 1, Dist. 5); Thompson Middle School, 39 Broadway (Ward 2, Dist. 4); Donovan Manor, 19 Chapel St. (Ward 2, Dist. 5); Clarke School Apartments, 24 Mary St. (Ward 3, Dist.1); Newport Public Library, 300 Spring St. (Ward 3, Dist. 2); St. Augustin School, 5 Harrison Ave. (Ward 3, Dist. 3); and Carey School, 27 Narragansett Ave. (Ward 3, Dist. 4).

--By Rich Salit
Journal staff writer

Posted by Pam Cotter  at 9:55 AM | Permalink

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Posted by: Lorna M. Dobson at December 19, 2007 12:34 PM

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