Matt McDermott enters race for vacant Providence City Council Ward 2 seat | WPRI.com
Matt McDermott announced he is running as a Democrat in the upcoming race to replace Helen Anthony as the Ward 2 city councilor in Providence. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Less than a day after key dates for Providence City Council’s special election in Ward 2 were announced, a third candidate has formally emerged in the campaign. Matt McDermott announced he is running as a Democrat in the upcoming race to replace Helen Anthony on Wednesday morning.McDermott, 35, is a veteran Democratic pollster who has worked as the senior vice president at Whitman Insight Strategies for the last decade. He said he has helped to “elect leaders and win campaigns on the issues that define our era, from voting rights to public health, reproductive freedom, to civil rights.” · “But I’m not just someone who’s fought these battles nationally. Providence is our home,” McDermott added.“Providence has incredible potential. Let’s fight for it together,” he said in the video. McDermott has also served as the national co-chair of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund Campaign Board, and previously launched a local grassroots organizing effort for the Harris-Walz campaign in Rhode Island. McDermott joins fellow Democrats David Caldwell and Jeff Levy in the race.McDermott said he wants to tackle the housing crisis, reclaim control of the state-run school district, “defend the democracy” of Providence residents, and invest in stronger neighborhoods.
