Saturday, February 13, 2010
David Cicilline, the openly gay mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, is considering a run for the seat being vacated by Rep. Patrick Kennedy. Gay Politics reports:
Providence, RI Mayor David Cicilline say he’s seriously considering a bid to replace U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy.
A Cicilline friend who’s discussed his options with the mayor tells The Associated Press on Friday that Cicilline has expressed interest in the position and has spoken with supporters about a Congressional run.
The friend, who said an announcement could come “very shortly,” spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to be quoted.
A former Rhode Island Democratic Party official who also spoke on the condition of anonymity says Cicilline was meeting with City Hall staff Friday to discuss his interest.
David Cicilline was first elected mayor in 2002 and was reelected in 2006. He announced he would stand for election to a third term at city hall, but the surprise announcement by Kennedy that he would not run for his seat again has shuffled the political deck in Rhode Island.
From the Left 
From what I hear about David Cicilline, he’s a good, decent guy and he and his partner are upstanding members of the Providence community. We get the local news being so close to Rhode Island and I have yet to hear anything negative from locals about him just because he’s gay. I hope David Cicilline runs for Kennedy’s seat. We can’t lose anymore Democratic congressional seats to morons like Scott Brown.
Way cool!
I hope he runs and if he does we should all move there for the election and vote for him… 🙂 What is Patrick Kennedy going to run for?
Pat Kennedy’s seat needs to remain Democratic.
After Massachusetts and Scott Brown, I thought I had traveled through a portal into an alternate plain of existence.
I hope he runs and wins. I don’t live in New England but like others have said, I have watched in utter disbelief as Ted Kennedy’s cherished US Senate seat was handed to Scott Brown. Patrick Kennedy’s seat cannot go the same way. I am still angry with the voters of Massachusetts.
Crossing my fingers and going to tell the DNC next time they call looking for money (should be any day now, they just called last week) that they better help this one with his campaign, after they blew it in Mass.
This is a House seat, not a Senate seat. Interesting news story, though.
We have heard so much spin about the MA/Brown win and the “message” that victory is sending to America — I wonder what “message” the Tea Baggers would perceive if a gay democrat wins the RI seat.
Chase – I saw Patrick Kennedy on TV.
The impression I got was of a man truly shattered by the loss of Teddy and a renewed appreciation of the importance and the value of family and of having a personal life.
Life is brief. Who wants to spend it on pols?