Nellie Gorbea, a registered Democrat, lost the Rhode Island primary election on September 13, Tuesday. She was competing for the Governor’s office.

Gorbea lost to Dan McKee, the incumbent. She is currently serving as the Rhode Island Secretary of State and assumed office in 2015. Her current term ends on January 3, 2023.

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Who is Nellie Gorbea? 

Nellie Gorbea was born on July 12, 1967 in Puerto Rico. She attended the Princeton University’s School of International and Public Affairs and earned a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. 

Gorbea presently  lives in North Kingstown with her husband Steven D’Hondt and  three daughters.

Nellie Gorbea’s Political Career 

Gorbea served as executive director of HousingWorks.  She was a deputy secretary of state under Matt Brown from 2002-2006.  She was also an economic advisor to the governor of Puerto Rico and worked with the Governor’s Committee on Children’s Services Planning in New Jersey. 

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She worked for Fleet Securities and was also the program officer for economic and community development for the Rhode Island Foundation. Nellie Gorbea is also one of the founders of the Rhode Island Latino Civic Fund. 

After resigning in July 2013, as the executive director of Housing Works, Gorbea ran for the elections of the Secretary of State in 2014.  She won the elections and made history as she became the first Hispanic candidate to assume office in New England. She was also further reelected in 2018.

As a Secretary of State she has worked hard to modernize election infrastructure, cybersecurity measures, and implement automated voter registration. Gorbea had also developed online resources to help small businesses grow and during the two years of pandemic a record number of new businesses had opened in Rhode Island. 

On May 24, 2021, Nellie Gorbea announced her Democratic nomination for Governor of Rhode Island in the 2022 elections.