Angel Taveras | |
---|---|
37th Mayor of Providence | |
In office January 3, 2011 –January 5, 2015 | |
Preceded by | David Cicilline |
Succeeded by | Jorge Elorza |
Personal details | |
Born | New York City,New York,U.S. | August 18,1970
Political party | Democratic |
Education | Harvard University (BA) Georgetown University (JD) |
Angel Taveras (born August 18,1970) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 37th mayor of Providence,Rhode Island,from 2011 to 2015. Taveras was the first Hispanic mayor of the city and the third elected and fourth serving Dominican-American mayor in the United States. [1]
Taveras' parents emigrated from the Dominican Republic in the mid-1960s. Taveras was born in Brooklyn,New York,but his family moved to Providence a few years later. [2] Angel grew up on the South Side of Providence where he attended the Head Start Program and the Providence Public Schools, [1] [3] graduating from Classical High School in 1988,in the same class as future Cranston mayor Allan Fung. [4]
Taveras attended Harvard University as an undergraduate,graduating with honors. Taveras was named an Echoing Green Fellow in 1992 for creating an after-school program and summer camp at Elmwood Community Center. He earned a J.D. degree at Georgetown University,and then served as a lawyer in Providence with Brown Rudnick LLP. After a 2000 Congressional run,Taveras started his own small law firm,focusing on civic advocacy and elections law. [5]
In 2007,Providence Mayor David Cicilline appointed Taveras an Associate Judge on the Providence Housing Court. [5]
In 2010,Taveras stepped down from his judicial position to run for mayor of Providence in that year's mayoral election. In a four-way Democratic primary,Taveras won with 49% of the vote. Angel would go on to win the general election with 82% of the vote,and was sworn in as the 37th mayor of Providence,Rhode Island. [6]
Under Taveras' leadership,Providence was recognized with the All-America City Award from the National Civic League for its plan to boost third grade reading proficiency and the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Mayors Challenge for its innovative proposal to improve the vocabularies of pre-school age children. [7] In 2013,Taveras presided over some of the first same-sex marriages in Rhode Island. [8]
Taveras came into the mayor's office facing a $110-million deficit. He made various financial agreements with city institutions and won pension concessions from unions to address the city's "fiscal hurricane". Taveras was praised for avoiding filing for bankruptcy in 2012. [9]
Taveras' term was known for advances in education. He launched Providence Talks,an effort to close the "word gap" by tracking the number of words young children hear at home. [9] The program also offered in-home visits from educators. [9] Monies for the program came from a $5-million grant from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge. [9] Taveras was also awarded the "Pacesetter Award" for his efforts on early learning from the White House. [9]
On Oct. 28, 2013, Taveras officially announced his bid for the 2014 gubernatorial election in the Meeting Street School library on Eddy Street in Providence. [10] Taveras was endorsed by the Rhode Island Alliance of Social Service Employees, which represents approximately 900 administrative, technical and social service workers in state government, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 400, which 400 workers in the Rhode Island departments of Transportation and Environmental Management, and Council 94, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employee, the largest Rhode Island union for public sector employees. [11]
On September 9, 2014, Taveras lost his Democratic primary bid for Rhode Island Governor to RI State Treasurer Gina Raimondo with 35,803 votes out of 122,757 votes cast. [12] [13] Taveras' one term as Mayor of Providence ended in 2015. He was the first elected mayor in 74 years to serve only four years. [9] He was succeeded by Jorge Elorza.
David Nicola Cicilline is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Rhode Island's 1st congressional district from 2011 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 36th mayor of Providence from 2003 to 2011, the first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital.
Classical High School, founded in 1843, is a public magnet school in the Providence School District, in Providence, Rhode Island. It was originally an all-male school but has since become co-ed. Classical's motto is Certare, Petere, Reperire, Neque Cedere, a Latin translation of the famous phrase taken from Tennyson's poem "Ulysses", "To Strive, to Seek, to Find, and Not to Yield". Classical High School stands roughly at the intersection of the Federal Hill, West End, and Upper South Providence neighborhoods.
Daniel J. McKee is an American politician and businessman serving as the 76th governor of Rhode Island since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he also served as Rhode Island's 69th lieutenant governor from 2015 to 2021.
Gina Marie Raimondo is an American businesswoman, lawyer, politician, and venture capitalist who has served since 2021 as the 40th United States secretary of commerce. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the 75th governor of Rhode Island from 2015 to 2021, and was the first woman to serve in the role.
The 2014 Rhode Island gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor of Rhode Island, concurrently with the election of Rhode Island's Class II U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
Allan Wai-Ket Fung is an American attorney and politician who served as Mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island, from 2009 to 2021. He was the Republican nominee for Governor of Rhode Island in the 2014 and 2018 elections as well as the Republican nominee for U.S. representative for Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district in 2022.
Seth Michael Magaziner is an American investment professional and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 31st general treasurer of Rhode Island from 2015 until 2023. Magaziner won the November 2022 election to succeed retiring representative James Langevin.
Jorge O. Elorza is an American law professor who served as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island from 2015 until 2023. He defeated former mayor Buddy Cianci in the 2014 mayoral election and on January 5, 2015, was sworn in as mayor of the city.
Nellie M. Gorbea is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she had served as the Secretary of State of Rhode Island from 2015 to 2023.
The 2018 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2018, to elect the governor of Rhode Island, concurrently with the election of Rhode Island's Class I U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections.
The 2022 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Rhode Island. Incumbent Democratic governor Dan McKee became Rhode Island's governor on March 2, 2021, when term-limited Gina Raimondo resigned following her confirmation as United States Secretary of Commerce. McKee easily won a full term on election day, defeating Republican Ashley Kalus by more than 19 percentage points.
The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Rhode Island were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of Rhode Island, one from each of the state's 2 congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. It followed a primary election on September 13, 2022.
Sabina Matos is an American politician serving as the 70th lieutenant governor of Rhode Island. Sabina Matos is the first Dominican American elected to statewide office in the United States. Matos also holds the distinction of being the first Black statewide officeholder in Rhode Island.
Elections are held in Providence, Rhode Island to elect the city's mayor. Such elections are regularly scheduled to be held in United States midterm election years.
The 2022 Rhode Island lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the lieutenant governor of the state of Rhode Island. The election coincided with various other federal and state elections, including for Governor of Rhode Island. Primary elections were held on September 13. Rhode Island is one of 21 states that elects its lieutenant governor separately from its governor.
James A. Diossa is an American politician from Rhode Island. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the Rhode Island General Treasurer. He served as a member of the city council and as mayor of Central Falls, Rhode Island, guiding the city after it declared bankruptcy.
Brett P. Smiley is an American politician from Rhode Island. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island.
The 2022 Rhode Island General Treasurer election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the General Treasurer of Rhode Island.
The 2023 Rhode Island's 1st congressional district special election was held on November 7, 2023. The seat became vacant following incumbent Democratic representative David Cicilline's resignation on May 31, 2023, to become the president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation. This was the first congressional special election in Rhode Island since the 1967 2nd district special election and the first special election in the 1st district since 1935.