Nellie Gorbea Becomes the First Latina In New England to Run for Governor

Rhode Island’s Secretary, Nellie Gorbea, Becomes the First Latina In New England to Run for Governor

Rhode Island Secretary of State, Nellie Gorbea, is the first Latina to run for governor in New England. If she wins, Gorbea would also be the first Puerto Rican governor in the mainland.

Gorbea has already made history in public office. In 2015, she became the first Latina elected to statewide office in New England when she became Secretary of State. She was re-elected to the position in 2018 and her term ends next year.

In her position Gorbea modernized Rhode Island’s elections infrastructure, increased cybersecurity measures, and brought both online and automated voted registration to the state. She has also developed online resources and reduced red tape to make it easier for small businesses to start and grow.

During an interview, she stated, “It’s being able to deliver an election during a pandemic where everybody who was eligible to vote could vote in a safe and secure manner or having record numbers of businesses incorporate during the year of the pandemic, because we had already prepared ourselves with online systems and training to make sure that we could do that. Rhode Island, like a lot of the country, is at a crossroads. We need to elect people into office that are willing to rethink how we’re doing government and deliver it to the people.”

Now, Gorbea is entering a crowded Democratic primary race. When asked how she plans to stand out in whatis anticipated to be a packed race, Gorbea confidently said, “I am the only candidate who’s actually transformed an agency of government in Rhode Island, and that’s something that nobody else has done. That is where my background absolutely comes into play. It’s yes, my dedication for public service, but it’s also the fact that I come into it as a Latina, and someone who has made her home here in Rhode Island. It’s not just the six and a half years that I’ve worked as secretary of state. It’s the almost 30 years of working in the community at the state and local level to make sure that government is held accountable.”

NBC