Newport to Have New Mayor - Charlie Holder
GoLocalProv News Team
Newport to Have New Mayor - Charlie Holder
City Councilor Charles Holder Jr, the top vote-getter for the council’s non-partisan at-large seats in this year's election with 4,733 votes, will oust sitting Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong.
On Tuesday, Holder was unanimously selected for the top post by the City Council.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe 2024-2026 council will have Holder serve as Chair, and Stephanie Smyth, Khamsyvoravong ("Xay"), and Jeanne-Marie Napolitano (also a former Mayor) as its at-large members.
Ellen Pinnock will represent Ward 1, Lynn Underwood Ceglie will represent Ward 2, and David R. Carlin III will represent Ward 3.
This week, Underwood Ceglie was also chosen by the council to maintain her current role as Vice Chair.
"Billionaire" Donations
As GoLocal reported in the series "The Billionaire Buying up Newport" about financier Nicholas Scorsch — whose Heritage Restaurant Group has been amassing a growing real estate portfolio in the city — Xay gave donations he received from Schorsch to nonprofits, after Schorsch had come before the City Council for a city contract.
When GoLocal interviewed Xay for the series in May 2024, the soon-to-be former Mayor was very complimentary of Schorsch, and said he appreciated his financial support.
When Xay was asked about Schorsch’s game plan as being a major donor, he said, “The reality of running these campaigns is it takes the resources to effectively communicate with voters, and I think that and members of our community like Nick understand the necessity of the resources so candidates can afford to communicate.”
“It is clear he is engaged on the political front of our community, and I have never received an ask from him other than an offer to help support community initiatives,” said Xay.
In April, one of Schorsch's Newport corporations won an important contract with the City of Newport.
Schorsch's firm announced in a national press release, "1899, LLC (now doing business as The Heritage Restaurant Group) is pleased to announce that at tonight's Newport City Council meeting, 1899 was awarded the concessions contract for the 2024 summer season at Easton's Beach. 1899 is a robust, multifaceted restaurant and hospitality company currently overseeing and supporting three brick-and-mortar restaurants in the City of Newport, a fleet of mobile food trucks and mobile food carts, and a state-of-the-art mobile food kitchen."
In July 2024, Xay wrote in an email to GoLocal, “I noted that your piece regarding Audrain's donations is forthcoming and wanted to flag some facts that aren't yet on your radar because my latest campaign finance report has not yet been filed.”
“This past quarter, the Audrain organization became a significant vendor to the City of Newport after winning a competitive bid for beach concessions. Because of their increased involvement with the City as a significant vendor, I conducted a review of prior campaign contributions I'd received from individuals associated with Audrain, and donated those funds to community non-profits,” he said.
“I identified contributions from 2023 totaling $2,500 and donated those funds to the following community organizations, which will be reflected on my Q2 campaign finance report as "Donation of contributions received in November 2023 from individuals employed by Bellevue Capital, Newport Craft or Metropolitan Wealth Management."
According to the Mayor, he was making the following donations:
$1,000 to the Martin Luther King Center
$500 to Newport Pride
$500 to Friends of Newport Skate Park
$500 to the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation
Campaign finance records show Schorsch — along with his daughter, Tess — gave Holder $1,000 a piece in 2020.
READ: Who Is the “Billionaire” Buying Up Newport — PART 1
READ: PART II: “Billionaire” Buying Up Newport — Flying High on Wall St. to Allegations of Fraud
Newport “Billionaire” Who Launched Audrain Museum Used Cars to Secure Millions
About Holder
According to Holder’s campaign website:
Charlie Holder has been in the restaurant & hospitality industry for over 30 years. He has always gone by the belief that if you work hard, treat people with respect and surround yourself with like-minded people, you can achieve ultimate success in your business field.
Born and raised in Newport, Charlie followed in his parents’ footsteps by working in restaurant industry in 1983. He has worked in every aspect from dishwashing to bartending to managing. He has managed some of the busiest high-volume places in Newport from Oceancliff Resort and Atlantic Beach Club to Midtown Oyster Bar & Surf Club and now his current position at Gardiner House.
Charlie spent 10 years in Naples, FL bartending at Tommy Bahamas and eventually managing Handsome Harry’s 3rd St. Bistro. Charlie returned to his hometown in 2010 and was entrusted with task of returning The Pier Restaurant to its former grandeur as one of the best waterfront dining places in Rhode Island.
Charlie decided to run for Newport City Council in 2020 to give the local hospitality community a voice in City matters. He is now serving his second two-year term as the Ward 2 Councilor. Residents have warmly taken a liking to his commonsense approach to issues involving Newport.