Sepe Formally Announces Run for Mayor

It has been known for a few months, but this past weekend, Cranston’s Mike Sepe has formally announced his candidacy for mayor.

Sepe has been a political player in Cranston for what seems like forever and has led the party as chairman of the Democratic City Committee for the last 18 years.

Sepe made the announcement on Sunday at 39 West with a crowd of supporters and fellow Democrats, telling the assembled that he will run on a platform of transparency.

He also said he’d focus on supporting the police department, fixing and maintaining the city’s roads, which are in awful condition across the city,

“Alone I can’t win, together we can’t lose,” he said.

Though Fung hasn’t announced his candidacy for mayor yet, it is expected. Sepe mulled a run for mayor last go-around, but decided not to in the end. At the time, Fungs popularity was off the charts.

But Fung has had a bruising year, losing to Gina Raimondo in the governor’s race. And then there was the state police investigation into the former leadership of the Cranston police department, which painted a negative picture of the mayor.

Sepe believes the opportunity is now, though he told supporters on Sunday that the campaign will be tough.

Among the supporters who gathered on Sunday was Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello, a fellow Democrat who is supporting Sepe’s campaign.

“We’re here to move along, endorse a mayoral candidate that I think has the judgement, intent, right goals to move this city in the right direction,” he said.