I have served the First Ward on the Newport City Council for the past two years, and I have worked in this community tirelessly for decades, on and off the dais.
I am writing because I will not stay quiet while my motives and my character are attacked. In recent weeks, claims about my record have circulated that simply aren’t true. I’ve been accused of voting for a moratorium on natural gas in Newport. Newport has never had a gas moratorium, and the council never voted to impose one. In 2025, the state was considering a moratorium on new gas hookups across Aquidneck Island. I co-sponsored a resolution to bring that discussion before the council so residents could understand it and weigh in. When residents raised real concerns about affordability and energy choice, we withdrew it and called for a public workshop. That is what listening looks like.
It is fairly easy to run a campaign focused on your abilities and your vision, if you possess those things. If not, that is when the rumors and the mudslinging begin, in an effort to cover up what is lacking. What saddens me, besides that level of desperation, is the emptiness that must come with it. There is no fulfillment there. No joy. No real sense of community. And when the dust settles, the residents we are supposed to be protecting and representing become collateral damage. Politics is not your therapy. We are dealing with people’s lives, and every choice we make affects them one way or another.
What has become obvious to me is that some people have a narrow idea of what city leadership should look like, sound like, or where it should live. I am a Black woman, only the third woman of color ever to serve on this council. I represent my community and every resident of this ward, whether they look like me or not. I make time for what matters, and this community is at the top of my list. Through every role and responsibility I carry in this city, I have kept showing up and making space for people who are too often left out of the conversation.
I have mostly stayed quiet while under attack because I believe the best answer to misinformation is not more noise. It is the truth, told plainly. So when a local outlet recently sent me questions about my priorities, I chose not to send my answers there. I didn’t trust that my responses would be published with an unbiased view, and the people of this ward deserve to hear where I stand directly from me, in my own words, without anyone else’s spin. So here are those questions, and here are my answers.
What is the number one issue facing Newport and the First Ward, and what will you do about it?
Honestly, it is hard to choose just one. Housing is at the top of my list. It is a systemic problem that no city can solve entirely on its own, but that is no excuse to stand still. Newport should work to keep the housing we already have from slipping out of reach, focus on housing for middle-income families who are being priced out, and create more pathways for first-time homebuyers so the people who work here and grew up here can put down roots here.
Flooding is close behind, and the First Ward feels it first. I will push to keep the city’s Elizabeth Brook watershed work moving and fully funded, because the North End cannot keep waiting. I support more green infrastructure — rain gardens, permeable surfaces, and planted areas that soak up stormwater before it reaches our streets and basements. Every new development should be held to strong stormwater standards, and we should pursue every state and federal resilience dollar available to us. And when residents report flooding, they should be heard and get answers.
What do you want to see happen at the former Newport Grand site?
It should be mixed use and should center the residents, children and families who live here: recreational space, green space, and businesses that strengthen our local economy. Done right, that green space can also help absorb stormwater for the neighborhoods around it.
Do you support a combined police and fire public safety complex in the North End?
A combined public safety complex is a good idea; many communities house police and fire together. Where it goes should be shaped by real community engagement. If the North End makes the most sense, residents will help show us that. I am also aware of the stereotypes that have long plagued the North End, and we have not yet had enough conversation about this. As always, I will listen first and make the decision that serves everyone.
Our residents deserve better than division borrowed from national politics. They deserve leaders who tell the truth, show up and put people first. That is what I have done these last two years, and it is what I will keep doing. I am counting on my community to wipe away the mud that has been thrown, watch the forums, check my resume and clearly see that I am the right candidate for Ward 1.
I am grateful to all who have supported me.
Ellen Pinnock
Newport city councilor, First Ward. Pinnock is a candidate for reelection.
What’sUpNewp welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds from Newport County residents. Election-related submissions must be received by Friday, Oct. 30. Send yours to ryan@whatsupnewp.com. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity and style, and do not reflect the views of What’sUpNewp.
