Former state Rep. John Loughlin, a Republican from Tiverton, announced Saturday he is running for lieutenant governor.
Loughlin, 66, served three terms in the Rhode Island House of Representatives before losing a race against Democrat David Cicilline for an open seat in the First Congressional District in 2010.
Loughlin retired last year as a public affairs officer for the Providence VA and has hosted a Saturday radio program on WPRO-AM for the last 13 years.
He announced his run on what he said would be his last radio show.
Loughlin said he wants to transform the lieutenant governor’s office, in part by working to reduce the cost of electricity in Rhode Island.
“It’s time to shatter the status quo and confront the dismal state of governance here in Rhode Island with the urgency it demands,” he said in a statement with an advance copy of his remarks. “We’ve all felt the pain, haven’t we? The quiet despair in a parent’s eyes when they can’t afford a home for their children, the exhaustion of a small business owner drowning in bills, the frustration of knowing our government could do better — but doesn’t.”
Loughlin said he supports creating a state office of inspector general and wants to help support small businesses.
So far, three Democrats are running for lieutenant governor, in a primary that will be settled next September: incumbent Sabina Matos, former state Sen. Cynthia Coyne of Barrington, and Ward 3 Providence City Councilor Sue AnderBois.
