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Updated: Sabina Matos chosen as Rhode Island Lt. Governor
Photo: Sabina Matos Twitter post
Providence Councilwoman Sabina Matos was announced as Gov. Dan McKee’s choice for Lieutenant Governor of the State of Rhode Island. Surfacing from a candidate pool of over 60 applicants, then down to 10, then down to 5, Matos was a front runner, along with former Mayor of Central Falls, James Diossa. Early on Diossa was rumored to be out of serious contention, and he announced he had taken a position at Brown University, leaving Matos the most speculated upon candidate.
The four other finalists were: Democratic Party treasurer Elizabeth Beretta-Perik, Rep. Grace Diaz, former Central Falls Mayor James Diossa, and Sen. Louis Di Palma.
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A formal announcement took place at 10am Wednesday at the RI State House, Smith Street outdoor entrance. Some last minutes changes in visits after the event happened.
Original visit to Notes Coffee was changed to The Family Cake, on Manton Ave. in Providence. They also visited the Dunk vaccination site, and then the vaccination site at the Johnston Recreation Center, where Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena joined them. Polisena had chaired the Lt. Gov. selection/screening effort.
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Defining her role:
Governor McKee summarized his expectations of the office, which has had an open job description, with being able to fill in for the Governor or take over in an emergency the primary responsibility. McKee sees the office as expanded in this statement, “The office is pretty well defined, as I said when I became lieutenant governor: small business, long-term health care, Alzheimer’s issues, emergency management and, as Sabina mentioned, housing is a real issue as well. So there is going to be a big role for the lieutenant governor.
He stated that “she will be at our press conferences – you are going to be able to hear what her agenda is and what she is working on with me.” Matos is expected at today’s COVID-19 press conference at 1pm.
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Councilman John J. Igliozzi will become President of the Providence City Council, and a special election will take place for her replacement. Councilman Igliozzi has been on the City Council since 1997. He currently serves as Majority Whip and represents constituents who live in Ward 7; the westernmost neighborhoods of Hartford and Silver Lake. Councilman Igliozzi serves as Chairman of the Committee on Finance.
Sabina Matos currently serves as President of the Providence City Council, elected President in January 2019, the first Latina to hold the position in the city’s history. She is term limited as President of the Council. She was first elected to the Providence City Council in 2010 as Councilwoman for Ward 15, which covers Olneyville as well as parts of the Silver Lake and Valley neighborhoods.
In 2015, Matos became the first Latina elected as Council President Pro Tempore in Providence’s history and served in that role until her election as Council President.
Matos was born in the province of Barahona in the Dominican Republic. In April 1994, she moved to the United States, first arriving in New York City, where she lived for a short time before moving to Providence with her family.
Council President Matos graduated from Rhode Island College in May of 2001 with a BA in Communications and Public Relations. She is also a graduate of the Latina Leadership Institute and Leadership for a Future.
Matos is also a graduate of the Aspen Institute’s Rodel Fellowship Program – an invitation-only fellowship program for elected officials at all levels in the United States. She graduated in the same cohort as former Mayor of South Bend, IN, Pete Buttigeg, who is now running for President of the United States in the Democratic primary.
Council President Matos has served as the President of the ECAS-Educational Center for the Arts and Sciences, and the RI Latino Civic Fund – The Latina Leadership Training, and the Rhode Island Latino Political Action Committee. She has served as the Board Secretary of the Olneyville Housing Corporation and served on the Univocal Legislative Minority Advisory Council and Latino Policy Institute boards. She has also been a member of Direct Action for Rights and Equality and the Olneyville Neighborhood Association. She is a founding member of LUCHA-Latina’s United for Change, and is a graduate of the Leadership for a Future program.
Council President Matos, who is 42, lives in Olneyville with her husband, Patrick Ward, and their two children, Diego and Annemarie.
Matos says she believes, as Gov. McKee does that the Governor and Lt. Governor should run together, though a joint ticket isn’t possible unless the law were changed.
On February 21, 2021, Joe Paolino, Jr. interviewed Matos for his ABC6 television show, In The Arena:
From Latinas Represent:
Former Mayor James Diossa tweeted his message to Matos: “Congratulations to Council President @Sabina_Matos on her nomination! Wishing her and @GovDanMcKee all the best!”
RI Latino Radio – questions were made at the press conference along with a statement that Matos represented “in many Latinos’ opinion ‘window dressing’ and the most powerful person in Providence (City Council President Matos) had been removed from helping Providence to go to a position with no real job description. Reynolda Almonte also mentioned James Diossa’s candidacy.
This interview later occurred as he spoke on the Tara Granahan Show on WPRO Radio:
https://omny.fm/shows/the-tara-granahan-show/reynaldo-almonte-latino-public-radio-sabina-matos
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From WPRI-Ch. 12, the video from the RI State House:
https://www.facebook.com/WPRI12/videos/157390939587725
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Statement from Governor Dan McKee after appointment:
“Governor Dan McKee today announced Providence City Council President Sabina Matos as his nominee for Rhode Island Lieutenant Governor. If confirmed by the Rhode Island Senate, Matos would be the first Afro-Latina to serve as the state’s second-in-command. “I know Sabina will be a true partner in governing who is prepared to work closely with our administration starting on day one,” said Governor McKee. “She understands the challenges Rhode Island families and parents face, and she shares my commitment to supporting our municipalities and small businesses. Sabina is stepping into this role at a time of unprecedented challenges for our state, and she will be a critical partner in our fight against COVID-19, our effort to get shots in arms as quickly as possible, and our path to economic recovery from the pandemic. “I thank all the Rhode Islanders who participated in the Lieutenant Governor selection process for sharing their perspectives on how this position can help move Rhode Island forward,” said Governor McKee. I’d like to recognize the five finalists for their commitment to the process and to Rhode Island. I look forward to working with them to strengthen our state.”
Lt. Gov. nominee Matos:
“I am truly humbled and grateful to Governor McKee for the honor to be nominated as our state’s next Lieutenant Governor,” said Lt. Governor nominee Sabina Matos. “I look forward to being the Governor’s partner and part of his team tackling the critical issues facing our state. Whether it be making sure we’re vaccinating as many Rhode Islanders as quickly as possible, getting people back to work and our small businesses open, addressing the affordable housing crisis in our state or breaking down the systemic barriers so that all Rhode Islanders have a chance at the American dream – we have much work to do and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get started.”
Under the Rhode Island Constitution, the Lieutenant Governor nominee is subject to advice and consent of the Rhode Island Senate.