East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva Launches Re-Election Bid

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI — East Providence's first mayor, Bob DaSilva, will run for re-election, he said during a speech Wednesday morning.

"A little more than four years ago, the residents of East Providence declared that they had had enough of political inaction and uncertainty," DaSilva said. "They elected to change the city for the better. I was given an opportunity to lead that change as the first elected mayor in the history of East Providence. Under my leadership and under the direction of my administration, together with our City Council, we worked to prove to our residents that they made the right choice."

DaSilva, a Democrat, was first elected Mayor in 2018, following a 2017 referendum to change the city's government from having a town manager and city council to a mayoral system. Prior to serving as mayor, DaSilva served as a state representative and was a police captain in Pawtucket.

DaSilva told the crowd he wants to see East Providence reach its full potential and lauded his accomplishments in office.

"We have invested in our public safety," DaSilva said. "We have invested in our parks. We have invested in our senior center. We have invested in our libraries. We have invested in our DPW. We have invested in our infrastructure, sewer and water and roads and so much more. All this while presenting responsible budgets and increasing the homestead exemption for our homeowners."

DaSilva announced his re-election bid outside of Amaral Custom Fabrications, a small business owned by Paul Amaral and located at Phillipsdale Landing.

In attendance in support of DaSilva was Gov. Dan McKee, Lt. Governor Sabina Matos, House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi, representatives from the Office of Sen. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, East Providence City Council President Robert Britto, Council Vice President Rodericks and Jennifer Cahoon, who stepped in to represent Councilman Nate Cahoon.

"It's been nearly four years, and we have seen so much positivity and movement here in the city, specifically with small and medium-sized businesses and other organizations like that great café over on Taunton Ave, an artisan woodworking business, a leather smith, a design firm, a fellow wine business, and not one — but two fitness studios," said Marissa Stashenko, the co-founder of Anchor & Hope Wine in Rumford. "East Providence is attracting all of these new businesses, investors and developers in part due to the strong leadership of the city."