Rhode Island sees two promising, progressive front-runners for its House seat

AP — The mayor of Providence, R.I., and a former state Democratic Party official are running for Patrick Kennedy’s U.S. House seat.

Kennedy announced this week that he would not seek a ninth term.

Providence Mayor David Cicilline says he’s in the race. In 2002, the 48-year-old attorney became the first openly gay man elected mayor of Providence. He promised to clean up city government after a City Hall corruption scandal.

Former Democratic Party chairman Bill Lynch, a 52-year-old attorney, also formally declared himself a candidate for Kennedy’s seat on Saturday.

Both candidates cited job creation and the economy as important issues. The unemployment rate in Rhode Island is nearly 13 percent.