Newport Election 2012: Napolitano Top Vote Getter; Newport Says No to Casino Expansion
Updates on the 2012 Newport election will be posted here throughout the day. Connect with us on Twitter at #PatchElections.
Preliminary election results can be found at the bottom of this article.
Newport voters turned out in droves, and some waited in very long lines, to cast their vote during Tuesday’s election.
While mail ballots have not yet been counted, preliminary results show voters have elected two new faces to the Newport City Council.
Newport voters chose Michael Farley as the council’s newest At-Large member over Donald Boucher by more than 1,000 votes.
“It’s a great feeling, I’m thrilled with the result. I’m so grateful for everyone who’s supported me in this race and the last,” Farley said. “I’m excited to start the transition by sitting down with city staff and looking at the pending issues.”
Farley said he is most focused on economic development in Newport, as well as bringing down the violent crime rate, even if by only a small percentage.
Incumbents Henry Winthrop, Jeanne-Marie Napolitano and Naomi Neville were re-elected to their At-Large seats.
“I’m excited,” Neville said after a long night of tallying votes at People’s Café. “We’ve got a good team for the upcoming term.”
Mayor Winthrop also said he was happy with the outcome of the election.
“Last election, I was 800 [votes] behind [the top vote getter]. Now I’m only 130 behind,” he said. Winthrop said he felt the surge in voter support as validation that the community supports his time spent as mayor.
Winthrop was appointed the newest mayor of Newport when former mayor Stephen Waluk stepped down from the Council to pursue a job with the Rhode Island District Court.
“I’m going to keep pushing on the strategic plan and developing Broadway,” he said. “I want to make sure the infrastructure of the city is strong.”
According to preliminary results, newcomer Marco Camacho ousted incumbent Charles Duncan for the 1st Ward councilor seat.
“I’m feeling really good, I’m starting work tomorrow,” Camacho said late Tuesday night. “I’m looking into building our infrastructure and targeting the 35 and under crowd, the young professionals, and bringing them to Newport.”
Camacho added that he was “nothing but honored” that the 1st Ward community elected him to the City Council.
“I’m deeply honored. . .especially running against Charlie. He’s a great guy, very gracious, he ran a great campaign.”
Winthrop said he was looking forward to working with two new members of the council.
“Any time you bring someone new, they’re going to bring something new to the council,” he said. “I think they’re both very smart guys.”
Farley also had positive words about fellow newcomer Camacho.
“Marco brings a fresh voice to the council. Charlie has done a wonderful job, I’m sorry to see him go. . .” he said.
Justin McLaughlin and Kathryn Leonard ran unopposed as 2nd and 3rd Ward candidates, respectively.
Newport School Committee Race
The race for Newport School Committee was less dramatic, with seven candidates running for seven seats.
Jo Eva Gaines, Charles Shoemaker, Sandra Flowers, Robert Leary, Rebecca Bolan and Thomas Phelan were re-elected to the committee. Robert B. Power will be the committee’s newest addition.
School Committee Chairman Patrick Kelley did not seek re-election.
Newport Grand – Question 2 and Question 8
As of 11:50 p.m. on Tuesday, with 431 of 453 precincts report, 66.8 percent of Rhode Islanders voted for the expansion of Newport Grand, while Newporters said no to table games.
Locally, 54.3 percent of Newport voters rejected the ballot to expand the casino.
Question 8 would have had to be approved by Newport voters to validate the approval of the state-wide Question 2 ballot.
Newport Grand will continue to be a slots-only casino.
View the preliminary election results below:
|
At-Large Candidates |
Votes |
|
Jeanne-Marie Napolitano (I) |
4869 |
|
Henry Winthrop (I) |
4739 |
|
Naomi L. Neville (I) |
4689 |
|
Michael T. Farley |
3786 |
|
Donald Boucher |
2715 |
|
1st Ward Candidates |
Votes |
|
Charles Y. Duncan (I) |
810 |
|
Marco Camacho |
1105 |
| 2nd Ward Candidates | Votes |
| Justin McLaughlin | 2027 |
| Write-In | 37 |
| 3rd Ward Candidates | Votes |
| Kathryn Leonard | 1872 |
| Write-In | 54 |
|
School Committee Candidates* |
Votes |
|
Jo Eva Gaines |
4674 |
|
Charles P. Shoemaker |
4563 |
|
Sandra J. Flowers |
4363 |
|
Robert J. Leary |
4354 |
|
Rebecca Bolan |
4243 |
|
Thomas S. Phelan |
4220 |
|
Robert B. Power |
4121 |
*All candidates were unopposed.
| R.I. Senate District 12 | Votes |
| Louis DiPalma (D) | 664 |
| Write-In | 9 |
|
R.I. Senate District 13 |
Votes |
|
M. Teresa Paiva-Weed (D) |
7063 |
|
Geoffrey William Cook (R) |
2957 |
| R.I. House District 73 | Votes |
| Marvin L. Abney (D) | 2637 |
| Write-In | 34 |
| R.I. House District 75 | Votes |
| Peter F. Martin (D) | 3550 |
| Write-In | 70 |
| Question 2: Newport Grand* | Percentage |
| Approve | 66.7% |
| Reject | 33.3% |
|
Question 8: Authorizing Casino Gaming at Newport Grand |
Votes |
|
Reject |
4414 |
|
Approve |
3722 |
Joe Sousa.
6:13 am on Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Geoffrey William Cook (R) Send a change agent up state.
b kcaj
9:13 am on Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Attention Tiverton voters: In the name of all that is good, DO NOT, under any circumstances, vote for Joe Sousa-he and his puppet string pullers at the TCC are out to destroy the town.
Sean
6:24 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Harry Winthrop is not being very Consistent! Two years ago he said he thinks the Top vote getter should be Mayor! What has changed? Other than him being Steve Waluks Puppet!!! After that trip to Japan Him and Waluk have practically been seen Kissing each other On The Newport Buzz and Both of their Facebook accounts! It will be interesting to see if the Shananigins continue!!!
JoAnne
3:01 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
I am hoping that the fact that JeanneMarie for the 4th time in a row was the top vote-getter means that the council will realize that the people have conidence in her and wo.uld like her to have the mayor's position.
Jack
7:20 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The biggest shame is that Elizabeth Myers was able to print and place on the radio a blatant lie about the moving of Newport Grand and the only repercussion is that people will lose their jobs and Newport will lose tax dollars....she and the Reverand McKenna should be ashamed
Tom
9:42 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Elizabeth Myers will never have to worry about paying her rent,buying groceries for her family and putting clothes on her children's back.
Living in Newport
8:07 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Thank you Newport for affirming local control -
the casino plan was exposed as a truly hot-air-bad-deal for our community.
Working in Newport
9:19 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The bad deal is all the people loosing there jobs over at Newport Grand, and the potential new jobs that were once again never realized
Melissa Mae Flaherty
9:46 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
I'm so proud of my community for rejecting the expansion of gambling in Newport. Thanks to all who worked hard to get the truth out!
frank macedo
10:15 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
leave it to the Newport snobs to vote down gambling bill which over time would have put locals to work, now lets see if the corrupt city council makes the right choice for Mayor
frank macedo
10:17 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
cant figure out why groups of young adults are out robbing locals and tourist when the people that bitch about crime fail to vote for a way to create jobs for locals THANKS
Tom Alose
10:20 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Tom in Newport:
Let Elizabeth Meyers' deep pockets make up for the lose in revenue to all those who work(ed) at Newport Grand. Maybe the Good Reverand can also pass the basket for our collective lose. Lost oppurtunities again. The upcoming Navy land would have been the obvious expansion site.
Jean Napolitano, the Peoples Choice... once again, will be ignored by the council. Shame on them for turning their back on the democratic process of the popular vote!
Tom
nptresident
10:43 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The popular vote has nothing to do with being mayor. The city charter states that the mayor is chosen by a majority of the council. Change the charter is you don't like it.
Dale Clark
11:44 pm on Monday, November 12, 2012
We can at least be thankful one of the city council member's got it right and listen to the people's choice by voting with the people to rightly handover the Mayor-ship to Jeanne-Marie Napolitano the one who received the most votes. Thank your new 1st. Ward Council member Mr.Marco Camacho for Voting with the people.
bimbels
11:03 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The issue with Question 8 for me was the relinquishment of control. If it had been drafted to keep control in Newport instead of taking it out of our hands, I bet it would have passed.
Eddie Haskell
12:56 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The casino could not go anywhere. It was a fallacy perpetuated by dragon lady Elizabeth Meyer. The casino gaming license is tied to that address. Any attempt to move it would require a state vote. She spent over $50K in 2 weeks to scare people. Now some good people may be out of jobs in a few years when the MA casinos open, Table games bring in a younger clientele. Such a shame for all those people that work there and live on the island.
Natasha van Doren
4:36 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
That Jeanne Marie Napolitano makes the council upset says to me that she should be mayor!
She has been the top vote getter in many elections. What's the deal? Is it that she was not born here? She is a woman? Has an opinion? Knows what she is talking about?
Once again we arfe here talking about why she is not mayor. We need to be looking into changing this on an off year.
Nik Forman
7:26 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Newport Grand owner can not run business properly: the place is dingy and desperate looking inside and out. No amount of "table games" would make it looking even a tad more glamorous or profitable. Their dining and entertainment is pitiful. The place looks like warehouse. I bet that the moment they have got the "table games" they would have sold the place to the "big guys". That place is doomed with or without table games: look at Foxwoods, etc. One full scale casino is enough for RI if not too much. The fact that Newport would be burdened with police, fire, sewage and other services for receiving pittance or nothing from the State without means to reverse the deal was bad call for Newport.
ctt
8:41 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Keep believing all the disgusting ads Elizabeth Meyers put out there Nik and all the other Meyers zombies. Talk about burden, ever read the police and fire on monday after the drunken weekends downtown? Eddie Haskel is spot on. Ever look on the Concerned Citizens against gambling sites? 2 council members are on the Advisory Board, Trudy Coxe who's the CEO of The Preservation Society of Newport and many more people that don't need or want to care about the middle and lower class looking for jobs. Their all in Elizabeth Meyers little 1% cocoon. All these so called "concerned citizens'' did on their sites was spread lies and used scare tactics to influence people that don't like doing a little work on their own to find the facts. All they talked about was for "politicians" to find new ways of revenue seeing as the revenue from NG is going to start to diminish.None of them had a plan B to find a new revenue stream. Well I have a couple; 1- Start by putting the buildings and land that Ms. Myers owns down on thames street(worth over 7 million dollars) on the tax roll .( that "burden" on NPD, NFD and sewer, that's fine though) 2- How about getting one of the members of the concerend citizens group, Ceo Trudy Coxe to start getting some part of her Preservation Society to contrbute to the "burden" it puts on Newports resources. The preservation society has over 800,000 visitors a year. How about a $1 "burden" fee on each ticket sold. Boom $800,000 dollars more than the city had.
frank macedo
11:54 am on Thursday, November 8, 2012
having just read the daily news ,I see the same scum-bags are at it again why don't we just impeach the Leonard, Neville, ,mclaughlin and winthrop for all they are is bunch of puppets for the rich snobs and they are nothing but back stabbing pieces of s@@t . notice that the two new electees are voting for napolitano and winthrop sort of flip flopped on statement about highest vote getter should be MAYOR
Chmn
6:56 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012
Don't worry. Newport Grand will not lose patrons- the same losers will continue to squander their money. I wouldn't want anyone to get a job there because they would probably get lung cancer from all the second-hand smoke.
Sean
7:38 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012
Winthrop is a well documented Liar! By his own account!
big blue
9:25 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012
Mayor JEAN....not Mayor harry....it's all about harry and no one else.
Farley for backup
Dale Clark
7:51 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
NPTRESIDENT as to your coment about changing the charter if the citizens don't like it?I believe the council wrote the charter to give them the right to over ride it's citizens.Guess the people really don't count in the direction of Newport? All our Votes must count.I went up to the canvassing board Wed.and Thursday and both days O'Neil was no where to be found the two in the office said he had to go to Providence?There were around three thousand votes on a table that were still not counted they said they were Mail-in?All votes should be counted by the state election board not a select few from Newport?