Councilor LaFortune Holds Fundraiser in Possible Run for Providence Mayor

Ray Hull

Fourth-quarter fundraising: $1,100

Ending cash balance: $80,898

Hull, the Rhode Island State Representative for District 6 representing Providence and North Providence since 2010, is widely considered to be eyeing a run for Mayor.

While his fundraising in the fourth quarter was negligible -- he is in possession of a not-insignificant war chest. 

Hull received $1,000 from developer Charles Tapalian in the fourth quarter. 

David Salvatore

Fourth-quarter fundraising: $3,650

Ending cash balance: $123,666

The former City Council President started the quarter with a sizable campaign account balance, but did not pursue much fundraising as compared to other Mayoral hopefuls. 

Still, Salvatore sits on six figures, putting him near the top of the class. 

Salvatore got contributions mainly from development and construction:

$250 James Abdo of Abdo Development (DC)

$250 Brad Dimeo, Dimeo Construction

$250 Richard Lappin (Lisco Development)

$250 International Brother of Electrical Workers Local 99 PAC

Nirva LaFortune

Fourth-quarter fundraising: $40,820

Ending cash balance: $54,425

The Providence City Councilwoman has made it clear she is seriously considering an entrance into the 2020 Mayoral race.

Starting with just over $14,000 cash on hand, LaFortune nearly tripled that with over $40,000 in individual donations -- more than all other potential candidates except Gonzalo Cuervo and Brett Smiley. 

LaFortune got big money from Buff Chace and family; current and former City Council members, and community leaders:

$1,000 Buff Chace (Developer)

$1,000 Rebecca Kislak (RI State Rep)

$1,000 Lawrence Eichler (Attorney)

$250 Helen Anthony (City Councilwoman)
$250 Seth Yurdin (Former City Councilman)
$250 Sam Zurier (Former City Councilman)

$1,000 Jen Bramley (PR exec)
$500 Norly Germain (Executive Director, Hope and Change for Haiti)

$250 Clay Rockefeller (Steel Yard Founder)
$250 Julie Andrews (Democratic fundraiser)

Gonzalo Cuervo

Fourth-quarter fundraising: $50,601

Ending cash balance: $50,235

One of the first to officially declare his intent to run in 2022 -- as first reported by GoLocalProv -- top Democratic staffer Cuervo started the quarter with no cash on hand.

He hauled in over $50,000. He did not, however, loan his campaign any cash -- something both Brett Smiley and Sabina Matos did. 

Given his work as a longtime staff member in Democratic circles, it is perhaps unsurprising Cuervo's donations come from many in the political ranks, including: 

$1,000 Angel Taveras (former Providence Mayor)
$1,000 James Diossa (former Mayor of Central Falls)
$1,000 John Cicilline (convicted felon, lawyer and brother of David Cicilline)
$1,000 Jose Batista (RI State Rep)
$1,000 Sandra Cano (RI State Senator)

$500 Jean Philippe Barros (RI State Rep)
$200 Donna Nesselbush (Former RI State Senator)
$200 Lammas Vargas (Cranston City Councilwoman)
$100 Maria Rivera (Central Falls Mayor)

Other notables include:

$1,000 J.R. Pagliarini (Graphene Composites)
$1,000 Mark Ryan (lobbyist)
$1,000 Al Buco (Paolino Properties)
$500 Jim Bennett (Prospect Medical Holdings)
$500 Lenny Lopes (lobbyist)
$500 Chris Hunter (lobbyist)
$500 Anna Cano Morales (RIC)
$500 David Corsetti (real estate development)
$500 Louis Yip (real estate development)
$200 Kristen Adamo (Providence-Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau)
$100 Tomas Avila (community leader)

Sabina Matos

Fourth-quarter fundraising: $125,050

Ending cash balance: $223,026

The City Council President signaled she is ready to take on former Mayoral candidate Brett Smiley -- in earnest. 

While she raised just $25,050 from individuals and PACs -- placing her behind both Gonzalo Cuervo and Nirva LaFortune -- she poured $100,000 into her campaign with a loan. 

Matos, who was already sitting on a cash balance of $111,075 at the beginning of the quarter, has nearly $60K more cash on hand than Brett Smiley -- but as he proved in Q4, he can raise a lot -- and quickly. 

Matos saw the lion's share of her donations come from business interests, and lobbyists, including the following:

$1,000 Bill Fischer (lobbyist)
$1,000 Bruce Waterson (Waterman Terminal Services)
$1,000 Christopher Waterson 
$1,000 Clay Rockefeller (Steel Yard)

$750 Thomas Dimeo (Dimoeo Construction)
$500 Lenny Lopes (lobbyist)
$500 Pannone Lopes Devereaux PAC
$500 Zach Darrow (lobbyist)
$500 Wally Gernt (lobbyist)
$500 John McCauley (former State Rep)
$500 Peter Marino (Neighborhood Health)
$500 Jim Bennett (Prospect Medical Holdings)

$250 Marc Crisafulli (Ballys)
$250 Nick Hemond (lobbyist)
$200 Jeff Padwa (lobbyist)

Brett Smiley

Fourth-quarter fundraising: $170,410

Cash balance: $165,956

The former Mayoral candidate, Elorza administration staffer, and most recently director of Administration under outgoing Governor Gina Raimondo blew the field away in the fourth quarter of 2020. 

He received $167,410 in individual donations, $3,000 in PAC money, and loaned his campaign $10,000.

Smiley also poured $14,453 into campaign expenses, indicating that his 2022 campaign has begun its all but official rollout. 

Smiley tapped former employers, colleagues, and some of the heaviest hitters in the state in Q4 -- and below are just some of the $1000 club. 

$1,000 Gina Raimondo (Governor)
$1,000 Andy Moffit (First Gentleman)
$1,000 Kim Anderson (Plant City)
$1,000 Karl Augenstein (Triggs)
$1,000 Richard Baccari (Churchill and Banks)
$1,000 Lisa Bisaccia (CVS)
$1,000 Deb Brayton (former staffer to Mayor Cicilline)
$1,000 Barrett Bready (Nabsys)
$1,000 Josh Butera (Pannone Lopes Devereaux)
$1,000 Tom Coderre (former Raimondo staffer)
$1,000 David Corsetti (real estate development)
$1,000 Zach Darrow (lobbyist)
$1,000 Anthony Dematteo (Dimeo)
$1,000 Donald Discullo (Ladder 133)
$1,000 Julie Duffy (Textron)
$1,000 Kenny Dulgarian (Dulgarian Properties)
$1,000 Brian Farley (Wells Fargo — Florida)
$1,000 Bill Fischer (lobbyist)
$1,000 Helena Foulkes (former CVS exec)
$1,000 Gary Frishman (Care New England)
$1,000 Ed Galvin (CFO Compliance -- Smiley's former company)
$1,000 John Galvin (AAA Northeast)
$1,000 Mark Gasbarro (Gasbarro Wines)
$1,000 Colin Geoffroy (Dorrance Street Property Management)
$1,000 Vincent Geoffroy (Dorrance Street Property Management)
$1,000 Brian Goldner (Hasbro)
$1,000 Michael Grover (Cox communications)
$1,000 Jeff Grybowski (US Wind)
$1,000 Thomas Guerra (The Foundry)
$1,000 Jeff Guimond (Patrick Lynch Group)
$1,000 Richard Haverty (Metals Recycling — Cranston)
$1,000 Peter Karzmar (Coastal Medical)
$1,000 Michael Kelly (attorney)
$1,000 Michael Lemoi (Rols Construction — Pawtucket)
$1,000 Jane Linden (Providence River Animal Hospital)
$1,000 Cathy Lund (City Kitty)
$1,000 Patrick Lynch (Patrick Lynch Group)
$1,000 Gil MacLean (Bottles)
$1,000 Chris Marsella (Marsella Development)
$1,000 Romolo Marsella (Marsella Development)
$1,000 Joseph McKenna (McKenna Roofing and Construction — Pawtucket)
$1,000 Patricia McKenna
$1,000 Patrick McKenna
$1,000 Ray Meador (Prov Port)
$1,000 Sam Mencoff (Madison Dearborn Partners — Chicago)
$1,000 Ann Mencoff
$1,000 Thomas Moses (lobbyist
$1,000 Katie Oakes (Citizens Bank)
$1,000 Jeff Padwa (lobbyist) 
$1,000 Costas Perdikakis (Freeway Car Wash)
$1,000 Dean Perdikakis 
$1,000 John Petrarca (Providence Autobody)
$1,000 Jennifer Romano (Paolino Properties)
$1,000 Anthony Rosciti (Rosciti Associates)
$1,000 Christina Rosciti 
$1,000 Jeremy Savage (Attorney)
$1,000 Jon Savage (Attorney)
$1,000 Merrill Sherman (Bank RI Co-Founder)
$1,000 Shivan Subramaniam (FM Global)
$1,000 Leslie Sweeney (Pure Barre)
$1,000 William Tracy (TRAC Builders)
$1,000 Carol Waterson (Waterson Terminals)
$1,000 Lauren Waterson 
$1,000 John Hazen White (TACO)
$1,000 Eric Zuena (ZDS Design)

$1,000 RI Laborers PAC
$1,000 RI Laborers Public Employees PAC
$1,000 RI Public Employees Education PAC