Early voting for Cranston’s primary kicks off Aug. 24 and continues through Sept. 12 (closed Labor Day) at the Peter T. Pastore Youth Center located at 155 Gansett Ave. Individuals can stop by on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The statewide primary election will be held Sept. 13. For more information on voting, visit the Canvassing Authority tab on the city’s website: cranstonri.gov.

What will residents vote on?

According to Registrar/Director of Elections Nick Lima, locally there will be no School Committee or City Council primaries. Residents will be voting on General Assembly candidates and Ward Committee members (along with the CD2 seat and state office positions).
There was supposed to be a School Committee primary between Ward 5 candidates Kimberly Lettieri, Tera Norberg and Arthur Scavitti, however Littieri withdrew. The names remain on the ballot since they were printed prior to her withdrawal.

As for the House races on September’s ballot, there will be a primary for District 14 between Democrat incumbent candidate Charlene Lima and Giona Picheco. In District 15, there will be a race between Republican incumbent candidate Barbara Fenton-Fung and Suzanne Downing. In District 16, Democrat incumbent Brandon Potter will pair up against Natasha DelSanto. In District 19, incumbent Joseph McNamara will go against Stewart Wilson. In District 42 there will be a three-way race between incumbent Edward Cardillo, Dennis Cardillo and Kelsey Coletta.

On the Senate side of the General Assembly, there will be a primary in District 26 between incumbent candidate Frank Lombardi and Eric Asselin. In District 31, there is a primary between Democrat candidates Matthew LaMountain and Harrison Tuttle and Republican candidates Lisa Morse and John Silvaggio.

Meeting Your Candidates

The Cranston Herald asked primary candidates to submit a 400-word profile with their thoughts on the current condition of Rhode Island government and policies, what they would bring to the state legislature should they be elected or simply why they’ve decided to run. Half of the profiles will be included in this week’s edition followed by the remaining candidates in next week’s paper.

House District 14:  Charlene Lima

“John F. Kennedy said, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.’ Those words motivated me to run for office and stand up and fight for ordinary Rhode Islanders in public service. As Deputy Speaker, my record shows I have done just that. I have sponsored into law hundreds of pieces of legislation from consumer protection, middle class tax reduction, animal protection laws, senior citizen benefit laws, tough criminal laws protecting our citizens. I have won awards for Consumer Justice, Animal Welfare, Juvenile Justice and many more. Twice in my career, I was thrown out of leadership for speaking out against special interest deals that were harmful to Rhode Island, like the 38 Studios fraud. I have provided funding for our neighborhood institutions including Gladstone School, Arlington Elementary, Bain, Cranston Blessed Mary Food Bank, Astro Children, Elizabeth Gordon CEO of Noticias de Rhode Island News, informing the Spanish speaking population of Cranston and RI and others for over 20 years. I have lived in RI all my life, and I am a 30-year Cranstonian. Our opponent has lived in Rhode Island less than three years and yet she constantly misrepresents by legislative record. I am proud of my legislative record and humbled by the support the voters have shown me in my many elections. My inspiration comes from the hardworking men and women of my district. They do not have high priced lobbyists. I have always been their voice. Some people say I am too loud, but that is the only way to make the voice of working people heard in the Statehouse. I have stood up for them against my own party and at great cost to my political career, whether for veterans who risked their lives fighting for our freedoms and are now being “canceled” by fringe far-left extremists; or the police and first responders who risk their lives for us only to be attacked and smeared as racists by groups supporting our opponent, who wants to defund the police. Defunding the police makes our neighborhoods dangerous and put small businesses at risk. I cannot be intimidated, cannot be bought and I do not ever back down to threats. If you give me the honor of being re-elected, I will keep fighting for working people and the principles that make our country great. Together, we remain strong.”

House District 14: Giona Picheco

“Our community has been without adequate representation for too long and it is time for that to change. Residents have had enough of politicians who are more focused on dividing our community and promoting right-wing views than delivering results to benefit working families and address the real issues affecting us. I come from a working-class family and have seen how hard it is to struggle to get by with low-paying jobs, housing insecurity, out of reach education and no healthcare. I ended up joining the military and serving in the U.S. Navy for six years before being able to build a life for my family here in Cranston. Many of the problems I once faced have only gotten worse.
Housing costs and rent prices continue to rise, making it more difficult for many to find secure housing for their families. We need more affordable housing that is suitable for our residents to live in no matter their income level. The schools in our neighborhood have been neglected for years and require much greater investment to provide a high-quality education to all our students, such as renovations and repairs to improve the classroom environment and greater benefits and compensation for teachers. Senior members of society deserve to have access to quality and affordable health care, so we must ensure that hospitals and nursing homes are adequately staffed with well-paid care workers to tend to their needs. There is a pressing need for elected officials who will acknowledge the worsening crisis of climate change and gun violence and stand up to continued attacks against abortion access, reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights and racial justice.

In short, we need a government that works for the people, and I am running to improve the lives of the hard-working families in our community. Instead of more of the same business as usual politics, let’s elect someone ready to get to work to represent the needs of our district. Learn more and share your thoughts with me at gionapicheco.com.”

House District 42: Dennis Cardillo

“My name is Dennis Cardillo Jr., and it would be an honor to serve you as State Representative of District 42 Cranston/Johnston. My wife is Jacky Cardillo, and we have a nine-month-old baby boy, Marco Cardillo. I have a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Rhode Island, I am Lean Management/Six Sigma Certified, Project Management certified and Osha 30 Certified. I also have several certifications in the quality control field. I currently oversee/supervise the production for Pepsi in Cranston for the night crew, and I have previously co-founded a small auto sales in this district with my father.
 

I have deep roots in this district as my mother’s side of the family is from Cranston and my father’s side from Johnston. I am actively involved in the community from attending local meetings and events. I actively give donations to many non-profits, and I have previously coached the Special Olympics. My wife, Jacky, has prepped meals for the soup kitchens and spends time at the nursing homes. In addition, at this time I am inviting our residents to donate to Hasbro Children’s Hospital in lieu of my political campaign as I am doing this for the community.

I believe that I can restore trust back to the Democratic Party with my background, knowledge and expertise as I can bring a fresh point of view to this district. If elected, I will help our elderly have access to transportation and healthcare to help with their quality of life, ensure funding for our schools to better their technology and infrastructure, support small businesses, work with State Officials to better our roads and safety of our drivers and work with law enforcement to correct the significant speeding on our roads. I will work hard for the community and be responsive to my constituents and make sure the voice of the community is heard.”

House District 42: Edward Cardillo

“Woodrow Wilson said, ‘You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.’
I ran for office to make a difference in people’s lives. I have lived in Johnston’s District 42 all my life. I was married and raised two daughters in Johnston. As a working man, I know firsthand what higher inflation and the rising cost of gas, heating, food and medical bills are doing to working people. I want to be your voice at the Statehouse. A voice that is not afraid to stand up and fight your interests over special interests and political insiders.

As your representative for the last two years, I have fought to provide funding to many organizations in our District that provide social services to our community: Johnston Dance and Performing Arts, St. Rocco’s School, Santa Maria di Prata Women’s Auxiliary, Pell Manor Tenants Association, Thornton Elementary School, Johnston Youth Football and Cheer, Stone Hill Elementary School, Windsor Hill Elementary School PTD, Pannese Society and the Johnston Police Department Explorer Post 405.

At the Statehouse, my legislation prevented the DMV from charging you for the new wave car plates. My legislation also provided for registration of commercial vehicles every two years – reducing small business costs. I supported and fought to eliminate the car tax – which we did! I fought against teaching “sex for pleasure” in our elementary schools – leaving that to parents. We raised the income level for subsidized child care; used $250 million of federal ARPA funds to build affordable housing for middle class homebuyers; added $4 million to increase the “circuit breaker” tax credit for elderly and disabled residents; raised to $20,000 the amount of annual pension income that is exempt from state taxation; completely eliminated income taxes on military pensions; submitted to voters a $250 million school construction bond to improve our schools.

While we have accomplished much, the job is not done. I ask for your support so that I may continue to fight for you at the Statehouse to fight for you at the Statehouse and in our District. Real Change – Right Now.”

House District 42: Kelsey Coletta

 “My name is Kelsey Coletta and I’m running for State Representative for District 42, representing Johnston and Cranston.

As a licensed clinical social worker working in addiction recovery, my day is devoted to helping hard-working families work through Rhode Island’s most challenging problems. While advocating for my clients, I’ve both learned how to navigate complicated systems in the state, and I’ve seen how those systems too often fail to meet people’s needs.

I’ve also seen firsthand how our neighbors—good people just struggling to get by—fall through the cracks again and again. If you could talk with my clients, you’d hear that I never give up on them—and I won’t give up on our community at the State House either.

Outside of work, I have a record of showing up at the State House and holding lawmakers’ feet to the fire to get real, meaningful policy passed. From helping to draft legislation, to testifying, to trying to convince our leaders directly. I’ve already helped pass laws, including to protect reproductive rights and to speed up the processing of rape kits to hold violent offenders accountable.

Our neighbors deserve better, in so many ways. I believe no one should be forced to decide between life-saving medication and basic necessities, such as rent or groceries. As the daughter of a public school teacher, I believe that every child in Rhode Island has the right to quality education, regardless of their zip code. I believe every individual struggling with mental health or substance use disorder deserves a chance to heal, and have access to critical services that can support their recovery. I believe that we can build a real worker-centered economy by defending workers’ rights, fighting for increased wages at all levels and ensuring that families have more paid time off so they can care for sick loved ones or new children. And finally, I believe all Rhode Islanders deserve full reproductive rights, and I will never back down from defending those rights.

Our neighbors in Cranston and Johnston deserve to finally have dedicated, consistent and reliable representation. I can promise that if I’m elected, you’ll know who I am, and you’ll be able to contact me with questions and concerns. I look forward to fighting for this community at the State House, and I hope to earn your vote in the Sept. 13 Democratic Primary.”

Senate District 26: Frank Lombardi

 “It has been an honor to serve District 26 in the Rhode Island Senate these past 10 years. I have focused on one major goal, to help people.

As the Citywide School Committee person, I fought to make our schools a safe and productive place to allow our children to achieve their goals. As your State Senator, I tried to be present in the community, listening to your concerns and responding directly with my constituency. To achieve this goal, I brought my business in the heart of our district to be directly accessible to my neighbors. Whether it was the blind resident who needed a crosswalk near his home to safely access the bus line, resident’s concerns with the speed of drivers, neighbors in Alpine Estate burdened with the Johnston windmills or simply state-owned property with a dangerous dead tree, it was my mission to respond immediately with remedies. In some cases, we cannot achieve our goal, but I still made it a point to respond to any concerns.

Most recently, my goals have been to help the hard-working families of our district enjoy a better quality of life, to reward our veterans for their life service, to protect our seniors from exploitation and to continue to protect our children. Elimination of the car tax and tax burdens on businesses, criminalizing exploitation of elders, mandating access to seniors in nursing homes and criminalizing sexual acts toward minors by people “in positions of authority” are the more important pieces of legislation this past year. All of this was achieved through strong advocacy, perfect attendance and an ability to work with both sides of the aisle.

Our work is not done. Issues of school safety and the protection of our children need further answers. Helping businesses recover from the effects of the pandemic and making it easier to do business in Rhode Island remain top priorities. Our most recent budget made great strides in eliminating or reducing taxes in many areas, but we cannot stop at just one year. The budget puts aside funds for the future. Each new budget must contemplate the future so that we have the necessary funds in times when we need it the most. It’s very easy to run for office and resort to rhetoric and name calling. It is much harder to put your words into action the way I have in the past 10 years.”

Senate District 26: Eric Asselin

“My name is Eric Asselin and I am running to be the next State Senator in Cranston’s District 26. My politics were shaped by my grandfather who grew up during the Great Depression and WWII. He spoke with reverence about the New Deal policies and the Democratic Party that went to bat for working people. These days, however, many in the Democratic Party have turned their back on their constituents for corporate interests. And we’ve seen the results. Public education is under constant assault. Healthcare and energy costs are rising.

Women’s rights and the rights of LGBTQ+ have been stripped in many parts of the country. Housing and rental hikes are pricing people out of the market. Finally, we don’t do a good enough job taking care of our most vulnerable: young children and our elderly.

I am running for office because I want a better future for my two adopted daughters. As a public school teacher and father, I’m on the ground floor and have seen how our children have been left behind in social services and in education. Teachers and social workers are stretched to their limits and constantly asked to do more with less, resulting in putting Band-Aids on gunshot wounds. I’m running because I’m sick of seeing people suffer and then having to post a GoFundMe because our elected leaders do nothing. Price gouging corporations need to be held to account and everyone deserves a living wage. These are issues that aren’t going away without action, which is why I want to bring working class experience to the senate. My opponent has had 10 years in office; it’s time to put in someone who is witnessing these issues first hand. It’s as simple as this: I’m not owned. I’m not beholden to corporations. I’m not a mouthpiece for the fossil fuel industries or the gun lobby. I’m not beholden to the establishment Democrats. What I say is what I believe.

I’m running on issues that are popular among Rhode Islanders. I’m going to fight for universal Pre-K, so people don’t have to pay what amounts to a second mortgage payment for childcare. I’m pushing for investment in public schools, from infrastructure to more mental health counselors. I will fight to eliminate the $400 flat tax for small businesses, helping those mom and pop shops. I will fight for healthcare reform and lowering drug prices. I will push for a quicker response to the climate crisis. I will advocate for better living conditions and more staffing in retirement homes. And I will fight for a woman’s right to an abortion, an issue my opponent voted against and protecting the rights of other marginalized groups. Every neighborhood, every vote!”