Central Falls mayoral candidate Maria Rivera takes large lead in tonight’s Primary Election

STATEMENT: Central Falls mayoral candidate Maria Rivera takes large lead in tonight’s Primary Election

CENTRAL FALLS, RI – With polls officially closed tonight, Central Falls City Council President Maria Rivera is now the leading candidate in the city’s 2020 mayoral race with 743 votes (69%) followed by Joe Moran with 238 votes (21%) and Tia Ristaino-Siegel with 130 votes (12%). The Board of Elections has indicated that the votes of approximately 194 Central Falls voters who voted early at City Hall will be counted Wednesday morning and that more than 500 mail ballot votes will be counted on Wednesday or Thursday. If tonight’s results hold, Maria Rivera will move on from tonight’s non-partisan Primary Election to face the second-leading vote-getter in the November 3rd General Election. Rivera is endorsed by Mayor James Diossa, who is term limited and unable to run for re-election, and would become the first woman mayor of Central Falls in history.

“I am humbled and honored by the overwhelming support of the voters of Central Falls and the outpouring of love my community has shown throughout this campaign. Residents have experienced great progress under Mayor Diossa’s leadership, and together, we have worked on a plan to continue moving Central Falls forward for the next four years. I hope to continue to earn the trust of our city residents as we look towards a very important November 3rd General Election.”
– Central Falls City Council President Maria Rivera

 
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Maria Rivera after voting in the September 8, 2020 Primary Election


Maria Rivera for Mayor Endorsements:

  • Governor Gina Raimondo
  • Lt. Governor Dan McKee
  • Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea
  • General Treasurer Seth Magaziner
  • Attorney General Peter F. Neronha
  • Central Falls Mayor James Diossa
  • Rep. Joshua J. Giraldo (D-Dist. 56, Central Falls)
  • Councilman Jonathon Acosta (Ward 1, Central Falls)
  • Councilman Hugo Figueroa (Ward 3, Central Falls)
  • Councilman Franklin Solano (Ward 4, Central Falls)
  • Councilwoman Jessica Vega (Ward 5, Central Falls)
  • Councilman Agostinho Silva (At-Large)
  • Central Falls Democratic Committee
  • Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence
  • Rhode Island Democratic Women’s Caucus
  • Rhode Island National Organization for Women Political Action Committee
  • Rhode Island Latino Political Action Committee

About Maria Rivera
Maria is currently the first female and Latinx Central Falls City Council President, earning the position in just her second term as a council member. She was the top vote-getter in the 2018 election of all Council candidates. She has worked closely with Mayor Diossa to bring important fiscal responsibility measures to Central Falls, like a revamped rainy-day fund and capital improvement fund, and important new economic opportunities, like the Conant Thread Train Station District and the first Affordable Housing Fund to build new homeownership and rental opportunities.

During her time as Council President, Maria has worked hard to make Central Falls a better home for families and the city’s most vulnerable residents. Maria has improved education and youth opportunities by introducing new after school programs, expanded Central Falls Library programming, and advocated for increased education funding for city schools. Maria has taken important steps to address safety and resident concerns by launching new Council Open Office Hours, Community Policing between the community and police, cracking down on unsafe vacant and abandoned properties, and passing a city law requiring the upkeep of city roads when utilities cut them up.

Maria is currently a Senior Eligibility Technician at the Department of Human Services. She is a graduate of the Rhode Island Latina Leadership Institute and has served on The Learning Community Charter School board of directors, the Central Falls Board of Canvassers, and the Central Falls Planning Board. Maria currently serves on the board of Nowell Leadership Academy for parenting and pregnant teens and the Central Falls Nuisance Task Force. She earned her BA in Public Administration from Roger Williams University and is a 1995 graduate of Central Falls High School. Maria lives in Central Falls with her two children. Visit www.mariarivera2020.com.