NEWS: RIGOP’s Harrop to run for Mayor of Providence

Dr. Daniel Harrop. Image from Twitter. 

By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News

Dr. Daniel Harrop is once again tossing his hat into the ring and has announced he will run for the Mayor of Providence in 2014.

“If I don’t enter the race, my feeling is that Democrats are going to sit there and not address the real issues,” he told WPRO Tuesday. “You’ve got a Mayor who wants to be Governor, you’ve got city councilmen who want to be mayor… they don’t want to discuss the real issues facing them.”

Harrop, a Republican, ran unsuccessfully in 2006 and dropped from the mayoral race in 2010.

Harrop has been a vocal opponent of Mayor Angel Taveras’ property tax hike, and cites mismanagement of the city’s pension system as the source for most of the city’s other financial problems. Harrop said he’s the best man for the job because he “understands the numbers.” A practicing psychiatrist, Harrop also has an MBA, and said he can “read a spreadsheet and… run a business.”

“That’s what you need in the city at this particular time,” he said.

Harrop said he only wants one term to make major changes.

He plans to raise at least $300,000, although he would ideally like to raise double that amount.

“It’s tough raising money as a Republican in this city,” he said.

He also said it’s tough getting votes. When asked if he had enough votes to win as a Republican he said, “Not at the moment, if you’re asking truthfully.”

But Harrop is hopeful that over the next year and a half he can win more support.

“I’m hoping to show the citizens of the city that they need a different voice in the mayor’s office,” he said.

Harrop recently ran for the chair of the Rhode Island GOP, only to lose to opponent Mark Smiley by one vote. Harrop is a 40-year resident of Providence, the Chairman of the RI Center for Freedom and Prosperity the Vice Chairman of the Providence Republican City Committee, and the Treasurer & Founding Chairman of the RI Republican Liberty Caucus.