Mayoral Race: Four Vying For First 4-Year Term

WARWICK, RI — Four candidates are vying in the mayoral race for the office’s first four-year term Nov. 5, including a democrat and three independents, including incumbent Mayor Frank Picozzi.

The four-year term was put on the ballot in 2022 by the Warwick City Council following a lengthy debate.

The ballot measure asked voters to change Warwick Mayoral term limits to two four-year terms and City Council members to six two-year terms. It passed with 20,902 votes approving, versus 11984 against. Up until now,  the Mayoral and Council terms were for two years, with an unlimited number of terms voters could choose them for office. The new term limits take effect in 2025, when the next mayoral term begins.

Here are brief profiles on each of the Mayoral candidates, starting with the challengers and ending with the incumbent.

John Dale Ritchie

John Dale Ritchie registered as an independent candidate for Senator in Dist. 30 in the 2020 election against Democrat Jeanine Calkin. He did not ultimately compete in the race, receiving no votes in the final count, according to Secretary of State records. According to Ballotpedia, he also registered as a candidate for the Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District in 2023, but also did not appear on the ballot.

This year, he has filed as an independent running for Mayor.

Ritchie does not appear to have social media, a website or press statements regarding any of his runs for office. Warwick Post has reached out to him via email and phone seeking his goals as a mayoral candidate and a photo. We will update this portion of the article as soon as that information becomes available.

Patrick E. Maloney, Jr 

Leah Hazelwood

Leah Hazelwood, a Democrat, mom and Warwick resident for more than 50 years, raised her children as a single mother. She spent 22 years as a Special Education teacher in the Warwick Public School system. After retiring from teaching, Leah represented Dist. 2 on the Warwick School Committee, winning the 2022 race against Steve  A. DiPalma, with 6,145 votes to DiPalma’s 3,294. She currently serves on the School Board as Vice Chair.

On her campaign website, Hazelwood pledges to run, ” the most accessible, transparent and open administration in Warwick’s history.”  She writes that city government will be open, accessible and will provide information citizen’s want and need. She has been endorsed by RI Speaker of the House K. Joseph Shekarchi and the Warwick Teacher’s Union.

“On day one we will commence an outside audit of  city wide spending,” she wrote.

On her campaign website, Hazelwood for Mayor, she said she’ll also prioritize aging schools and parks, reduce hoops small businesses have to go through, and take a strategic view and long-term planning  on challenges, “No more bandaids.”

Mayor Frank Picozzi

Incumbent Mayor Frank Picozzi, an independent, and self-employed home improvement contractor was first elected in 2020 while running against the late Mayor Joseph Solomon, with 26,625 votes to Solomon’s 18,227. Though Picozzi didn’t face any serious challenger for reelection in  2022 – his opposition amounted to 787 unspecified write-in votes – he still won 30,844 votes.

Picozzi served as Mayor through COVID-19 pandemic, and has maintained an historically robust, proactive and interactive social media presence on his Facebook page, informing the public of noteworthy, routine and emergency events in the city.

The Picozzi Family Christmas light display at his home has been the subject of countless news stories and well known throughout southern New England as a destination holiday tradition for thousands. Donations collected from the show benefit the Tomorrow Fund at Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

Picozzi was also a former chairman of the Warwick School Committee, Picozzi has been a sponsor, coach, board member and President of Apponaug Girls Softball and a coach, sponsor and treasurer of Warwick North Little League. In 2018 Rhode Island Monthly Magazine named him a Rhode Islander of the year for his work both in his community and for charity. He was also the recipient of The Good Will Award from The Tomorrow Fund of Hasbro Children’s Hospital.