State Rep. John Carnevale has ended his campaign for re-election after a decision Thursday from the Providence Board of Canvassers, who ruled that Carnevale is not legally registered to vote in Providence.
The board found that Carnevale’s primary residence is in Johnston, outside of the district he represents.
Carnevale thanked his constituents, saying it’s been an honor to serve them. But he said out of consideration for his family and his neighborhood, he would not seek re-election.
“I do pledge to continue to be an active resident in our neighborhood, and to be involved in neighborhood issues, and to continue to work on improving the quality of life in our district, as I have for the past several years,” Carnevale said.
Questions about Carnevale’s residency were first raised by WPRI-TV news, whose cameras caught Carnevale spending significant amounts of time at a home he owns in Johnston. Carnevale tried to argue that he mainly lives in the annex of a Providence apartment building, which he rents out to tenants.
But the Board of Canvassers was not convinced.
Several challengers have already announced their intention to run for Carnevale’s seat in District 13, which includes Providence’s Silver Lake neighborhood.