LaFortune Wins Providence Ward 3 City Council Special Election
Friday, August 18, 2017
Democrat Nirva LaFortune won the special election to replace former City Councilman Kevin Jackson on Wednesday in Providence.
LaFortune beat Republican challenger David Lallier Jr., and independent Chris Reynolds in the general election; LaFortune had turned back challengers Mark Santow and Dan Chaika in the Democratic primary.
"Thank you so much Ward 3! I am honored to represent you on the city council, and I look forward to working together to bring our voices to city hall," wrote LaFortune on her campaign Facebook page.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTWard 3 voters had recalled Jackson in May.
LaFortune on GoLocal
In June, LaFortune appeared on GoLocal LIVE with News Editor Kate Nagle to discuss her candidacy, speaking to what she saw as the biggest issues facing the community.
"I come from an immigrant family -- I moved to Providence when I was three," said LaFortune. "Running for office was something that never came to mind -- but with what's happened at the federal level, I realized we need more voices, more strong voices."
"There's a significant divide in our community - how do we cross those invisible lines? We have one of the oldest free black communities, a significant Jewish population, and immigrants from different parts of the world," said LaFortune. "We need to figure out how to address issues around the divide in Ward 3. The question is, how do we come up the solutions."
