GOP's Rory Smith announces run for RI governor

[ccharles000]

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Republican business executive Rory Smith announced Wednesday that he would run for Rhode Island governor and called for spending and tax cuts to help revive a tanking economy that's pushed unemployment to 13 percent.

The relatively unknown businessman is the first candidate to enter the race as a Republican. Smith has no elected experience, but he may be the party's best chance of finding a successor to Republican Gov. Don Carcieri, who must leave office after finishing his second term in early January 2011.

Smith, 48, was a founding partner at Nautic Partners LCC, a private equity firm in downtown Providence, until resigning recently to focus on his run. He lives in East Greenwich with his wife and three children.

"I've spent my entire career working with small businesses and mid-size businesses to grow them and make them successful," Smith said in an interview. "And that's what I want to do in state government, is to get Rhode Island back on the right track and put Rhode Islanders back to work."

Smith said Rhode Island must cut its tax rates to become financially competitive and trim spending to solve chronic budget deficits. Smith said that the state's education system needs reform, but that he wasn't ready to outline specific plans.

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