Cianci to start official campaign with ad and party

September 9, 2014 7:46 pm

By: Dee DeQuattro

Twitter: @deedequattro

Former Providence Mayor Buddy Cianci is kicking off his official campaign tonight with a party at GPub after the primary and his first television ad.

The ad set to air after 9 p.m. on ABC6 compares the city today to when Cianci was Mayor in 2002.

Cianci is running as an independent and will face off against the winner of the Democratic Primary and Republican Dan Harrop.

Cianci is the longest standing mayor in the city of Providence. He was elected in 1975 and served until 1984. He later resigned when he plead no contest to assaulting a man. He was re-elected in 1991 and served until 2002 when he was convicted of corruption in Operation Plunderdome. He was sentenced to four years in federal prison.

During his time as mayor of Providence, Cianci was credited with revitalizing the city with attractions such as PPAC and the Providence skating Rink.