Secretary of State Gorbea announces run for governor

Nellie Gorbea announced on May 24, 2021 that she will be a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Rhode Island Governor in 2022. Photo by Steve Klamkin WPRO News

WPRO News and The Associated Press

Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea plans to run for governor next year.

In her video announcement Sunday Gorbea touted her accomplishments in public office and pledged to make government more accountable to the people and to challenge special interests and the status quo.

Her run pits her against incumbent Gov. Daniel McKee and Dr. Luis Daniel Muñoz, who so far are the only two to announce their candidacy for the Democratic nomination.

In an interview on Monday, Gorbea told WPRO News she feels that she is best qualified to run the state.

“I want to be governor because I believe that Rhode Islanders deserve a government that works for them,” she said. “As Secretary of State I’ve delivered that, I’ve delivered an agency that… every aspect of it works for the people.”

“I think that it’s very clear that of the people who are being spoken about in terms of possibly running, the only one who has transformed an agency of state government… with state employees, with the labor union… is me,” Gorbea said. “And that fundamental transformation of state government needs to happen if Rhode Island’s going to have a better future.”

The 53-year-old Gorbea, who lives in North Kingstown, became the first Latina elected to statewide office in New England when she became secretary of state in 2015.

 

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