Lisa Baldelli-Hunt - 23 Who Made a Difference in RI in 2023

Lisa Baldelli-Hunt - 23 Who Made a Difference in RI in 2023

Three times can be a charm -- or not.

In 2013, GoLocal flagged the rise of Lisa Baldelli-Hunt as one of the "13 Who Made a Difference in RI in 2013."

 

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GoLocal wrote a decade ago:

After serving in the General Assembly as a State Rep from 2006 to 2013, Baldelli-Hunt set her sights on the City of Woonsocket's highest seat this year, and in November became the second woman ever elected to the position, beating incumbent Leo Fontaine by roughly 2 to 1 margin.

Running on a reform platform, Baldelli-Hunt said the city had been underfunding its schools, and questioned previous Mayor Fontaine's disclosure of the city's finances. “I’m angry. As a legislator, I feel that I’ve been misled at a time we’re trying to push through legislation to avoid municipal bankruptcy,” Baldelli-Hunt said in June of 2013.

And in 2023, Baldelli-Hunt’s ten-year run as Woonsocket Mayor came to a crashing end.

In 2022, she was removed from office and then won reelection. GoLocal tapped her again for her making headlines. 

In November of 2023, she surprised many by resigning as Mayor -- after the revelation of a potential financial misstep arose.

Baldelli-Hunt said she was resigning due to health issues.

Her career was tumultuous and nearly always in the news.