Sweeney announces he will not run for District 68 seat

Posted 12/12/18

The shakeup in District 68 continues, as one of the declared candidates to replace Laufton Ascencao has backed out less than a week after declaring his intention to run. Bristol Town Councilor …

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Sweeney announces he will not run for District 68 seat

Posted

The shakeup in District 68 continues, as one of the declared candidates to replace Laufton Ascencao has backed out less than a week after declaring his intention to run. Bristol Town Councilor Timonthy Sweeney released a statement Wednesday morning, saying he will not be filing to run for the office and will instead focus on his responsibilities on the council.

In  his statement, he cited the turmoil in District 68, where the big winner in November's election, Mr. Ascencao, decided not to take the seat after it was revealed he lied to fellow Democrats and manufactured false financial records regarding his campaign spending. Mr. Sweeney acknolwedged that voters in District 68 could end up in a "perpetual election" through June. The district took part in a Democratic Primary in September, the General Election in November, and could face a Democratic Primary for the vacant seat, a special election for the vacant seat, and if Mr. Sweeney were successful, one or two more elections to fill his vacant coucil seat.

With his withdrawal, declared candidates for the seat are: Democrats Andy Tyska and June Speakman, Libertarian William Hunt and Independent Joseph DePasquale.

Following is his statement:

"The voters in District 68 have been through a lot these past several years. We need
leaders who promote and practice transparency, regularly communicate and engage with their
constituents, and prioritize the people of Bristol, Warren, and Rhode Island. Above all else, we
need honest leadership.

"Following the announcement that our newly-elected state representative will not be
taking the oath of office, I received many calls asking me to step-up and run for this seat. I’ve
thought a lot about what that would mean for our community. Of course, I would be honored to
represent Warren and Bristol at the state level. However, if I were successful in my campaign,
Bristol would be in a perpetual election through June.

"I truly believe that we need to move forward, and we need to move on. I have one goal,
and that is to be a thoughtful and caring voice for our community. Therefore, I have decided that

"I will not run for state representative at this time and will continue to proudly serve as a member
of the Bristol Town Council."

Timothy E. Sweeney
Bristol Town Council, Vice-Chairman

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