Newport City Councilor Jeanne-Marie Napolitano was elected the next Mayor of Newport, RI Thursday night in a caucus vote of the Newport City Council-elect. Napolitano, who defeated Jamie Bova in a 4-3 vote, received the support of Councilors Lynn Ceglie, Kate Leonard and Charlie Holder. Councilors Angela McCalla and Elizabeth Fuerte voted to support Bova.
Councilor Lynn Ceglie was unanimously voted vice chair of the council.
The event was not without fireworks though with outgoing Mayor Bova complaining that Mayor Jeanne-Marie Napolitano secured a majority vote ahead of the caucus, despite Bova doing that same exact thing in 2018 when she went back on her pledge to support the highest voter getter (who was Napolitano in 2018 and 2020) and cut backroom deals to secure majority support for mayor. Bova presided over what is seen by many to have been the worst Newport City Council in generations.
While our country is trying to heal and come together it was extremely disappointing to see that Councilors Bova, Fuerte and McCalla are already working to create a fracture in this city council.
Napolitano and the council-elect will be sworn in formally on December 1st at Newport’s inauguration.
This is a big win for the people of Newport.
Congrats, Mayor Napolitano!!!
PS – Flashback to 2018 when Bova was cutting backroom deals.
Vote Count: Will Councilor Jamie Bova honor her pledge to Newport and vote for Mayor Napolitano?
Live look at Bova campaign HQ.
