Cranston voters head to the polls to fill embattled councilman Reilly’s seat

CRANSTON, R.I. (WLNE) — Cranston voters will take to the polls Tuesday to decide who will represent Ward 6 in the city council.

The seat was left open after former Councilman Matthew Reilly resigned both from the council and as chairman of the Cranston Republican Party following his arrest on a drug possession charge in May.

Reilly is also an attorney, but his law license was suspended after the arrest.

Cranston residents will see Democrat Dan Wall and Republican Anthony Melillo on the ballot, as well as Independents Marc Bochner and Bob Lancia.

The community was shocked by the release of the police body-worn camera footage that showed a disoriented Reilly in his car on Pontiac Avenue on May 15.

Former Cranston Councilman Matthew Reilly appears in Kent County District Court on new charges, Thursday, June 8, 2023. (WLNE)

“You were literally choking in your sleep, somebody flagged me down about it,” a Cranston police officer said in the video.

“I have sleep apnea, I’m sorry,” said Reilly.

“And you have a crack pipe in your hand,” said the officer.

An already embattled Reilly was then held without bail after a court appearance on child molestation charges in June.

Police said the legal guardian of a 12-year-old girl filed a complaint against him regarding an alleged inappropriate relationship.

Reilly has a pre-arraignment conference on the drug possession charge on Feb. 9, according to online court records.