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Among the ten candidates who declared their candidacy for Newport City Council At-Large earlier this week was Ryan Patrick Kelley.
Kelley provided What’sUpNewp with the following announcement regarding his campaign;
“My name is Ryan Patrick Kelley and I’d like to share how I came to declare my candidacy for Newport City Council.
Just before the deadline on June 29th, I submitted paperwork to run for an at-large seat.
My decision came after closely monitoring the developing field of candidates during the declaration period. With two departing incumbents, I had hoped there would be a diverse and wide variety of candidates to choose from. I soon realized there were – at the time – just six new candidates for these “open” seats.
What’s more, at least a third of those six declared candidates weren’t registered to vote in Newport just seven months ago.
The remaining candidates (those who did appear on the 2021 voter roll) were, at least to me, relatively unknown – leading me to wonder not only who they were but what they stand for, and what they’ll bring to city council.
Granted, I only officially moved to Newport two years ago.
I did, however, grow up in Rhode Island and have worked in politics spanning local, state, and national campaigns.
Since arriving here, I’ve actively tried to familiarize myself with – and get involved in – our community as much as “pandemically” possible.
To that end, I’ve joined neighborhood associations, athletic clubs, and various civic committees while contributing what I can to organizations like Sail Newport, NewportFILM, and the Redwood Athenaeum.
It’s safe to say, in just two years, I’ve developed a deep affinity for our city by the sea.
From this place of respect and admiration for Newport, I felt compelled to declare my candidacy… if only to give voters more options and more time to find the very best candidates to represent them on council.
To be clear, there are a handful of council candidates (both new and continuing) I am enthusiastic about and will work tirelessly to support.
That said, it’s no secret Newport is in the midst of some significant changes – some of which are unique to our city, and others which are tangential to issues and threats unfolding on the state, national, and even global arenas.
While the future may be uncertain, what is clear – at least to me – is what’s needed to prevail.
Newport requires and deserves experience, grit, willingness to challenge the status quo, innovative approaches to policy making, a spirit of mutual respect, a passion for representing everyone, dedication to diversity, and a genuine desire to build an equitable community.
Between now and November, I want us to talk about the best way to get there.
It’s simply imperative.
For more information, please visit RyanPatrickKelley.com/about“
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