By G. WAYNE MILLER
Journal staff writer

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Recently retired state police Supt. Brendan P. Doherty will announce on Thursday that he is running for the 1st Congressional seat now held by former Providence mayor U.S. Rep. David Cicilline, The Providence Journal has learned.

Doherty, a longtime Cumberland resident, will make the announcement at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday at Imperial Packaging Corp., a Pawtucket manufacturer. He is expected to run as a Republican.

Since leaving the superintendent's job in late March, political observers have speculated Doherty would run for either the House or the U.S. Senate, the seat now held by Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat, like Cicilline.

In announcing last week that he had formed a small security consulting firm, Doherty on last Friday had no comment about his plans.

"I have no comment on that as it relates to this story," he said on Friday. "I'll announce that at the appropriate time."