Vitali, Kinch may battle it out in Dist. 3; Kilmartin seeking re-election to House

By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — With the June 25 deadline to declare for political candidacy looming, several incumbents have stated their re-election plans while a former city councilor is gearing up to reclaim a seat.

Albert J. Vitali Jr., the former councilor for the third district who was beaten in the 2006 Democratic primary by Henry Kinch Jr., said he intends to make another run for the city council this November.
Also, despite earlier rumors that he might be seeking a turn at mayor, State Rep. Peter F. Kilmartin (D-Dist. 80) announced that he plans to seek re-election for another term.
Vitali, who lives on Pequot Road, said he will seek either his old seat in District 3, which he is leaning towards, or an at-large council seat. He announced that he is forming a task committee in preparation for his campaign bid.
Vitali, a lifelong resident and local businessman, said he “has been approached by many residents of the District during the past year” who have encouraged him to regain the seat that he lost to Kinch in a tight contest.
Vitali added that due to changes in the state rules and regulations regarding judicial personnel, he believes Kinch might be prevented from running again due to his position as a clerk of the Providence Superior Court. If this turns out to be the case, he said he will definitely seek the District 3 seat.
“I certainly feel that I accomplished a lot during my first term and look forward to returning to the council to continue what I did for the people in this district and for the entire city,” said Vitali.
However, Kinch told The Times that he “absolutely” plans on seeking re-election, and there is nothing preventing him from doing so. He maintains that general laws override the state laws governing judicial personnel, and he is clearly allowed to seek another term.
“We’ve been over this turf a thousand times. If that’s the strategy he (Vitali) is banking on to win with, he better find another one, because that one is not going to wash,” said Kinch.
Kinch, a resident of Wilton Avenue, said he “has been encouraged by a lot of my constituents who are happy with the job I’m doing. “I certainly like the job,” he added. He said he intends to make a more formal announcement about his campaign plans and main issues in the coming weeks, closer to the filing deadline. “We’re busy with the budget. There is a lot of work to be done right now,” he added.
Earlier in the year, there was also speculation that Kinch, a son of the city’s longtime mayor, Henry Kinch, Sr., might also make a bid for the city’s top post. However, he later said he would continue to support incumbent Mayor James Doyle, who last month announced his own plans to seek re-election.
Kilmartin, currently in his 18th year as state representative, told The Times that he considers a major issue for him and his fellow legislators to be the need for a re-structuring of state government to deal with the state’s budget deficit and the rising cost of living. “We have to redefine our government and its role, and make it work better and more efficiently,” said Kilmartin.
Aside from that, he said there are several smaller constituent issues he is involved with, such as a bill that would enable the city to collect tax revenue more quickly from foreclosures and another that would increase the requirement for a municipality to conduct property revaluations from a three-year cycle to one of four years. He noted that Pawtucket is up for a full revaluation this year, which could cost an estimated $1 million, something that the city doesn’t have the money to do right now.”
Citing his lengthy experience, Kilmartin added that, where the city is concerned, “a little institutional knowledge helps at the State House.”
As to the idea of one day seeking the mayoral title, Kilmartin said he would “never close the door to that.” Having spent his whole life in Pawtucket, he said it is something he has often thought he would one day like to do. “Since I was a little kid, it’s always been a goal,” he stated.
Besides Mayor Doyle, other incumbents who have announced their intentions include Councilor-at-Large Donald Grebien, who is seeking re-election to his seat, and School Committee member John Baxter, who is making a bid for an at-large council seat belonging to the outgoing Councilor Robert Carr.