Nellie Gorbea

Nellie Gorbea
Secretary of State of Rhode Island
Incumbent
Assumed office January 6, 2015
Governor	Gina Raimondo
Preceded by	Ralph Mollis
Personal details
Born	Puerto Rico, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Steve d'Hondt
Children	3
Alma mater	Princeton University Columbia University

Nellie M. Gorbea is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the Secretary of State of Rhode Island. Gorbea is the first Hispanic to win statewide office in New England. She is currently the only Latina Democrat statewide office holder in the country.

Career

Sworn in as Secretary of State on January 6, 2015, Gorbea has rapidly emerged on the national scene as a leader who is taking on some of the toughest issues and getting results, leading the way for other states across the country.

• Improved the elections system by acquiring new state-of-the-art voting machines thus ensuring that Rhode Island will be one of the few states in the country to have new voting equipment at all polling places for the fall 2016 elections;
• Worked to increase civic engagement by instituting online voter registration and releasing an enhanced mobile voter information center “app” to better inform voters (at Vote.RI.gov or Vota.RI.gov) especially among the Millennial generation;
• Ushered in tough legislation to increase government transparency, crack down on violations of lobbying rules and make Rhode Island’s lobbying registration system a model for the nation;
• Launched a new online Business Portal to make it easier for entrepreneurs to start businesses in the state;
• Initiated the development of a new State Archives and Rhode Island History Exhibition Center that will help Rhode Islanders further understand and appreciate their state’s great history.

In recognition of her extraordinary leadership and achievements, she has been named Vice Chair for the 2016 Democratic National Convention Platform Committee, Co-chair of the National Association of Secretaries of State Voter Participation Committee, Aspen Rodel Fellow and Hunt Kean Fellow.

Prior to becoming Rhode Island's Secretary of State, Gorbea was the Executive Director of Housing Works Rhode Island, a leading organization working to make housing affordable in Rhode Island, during  5 ¹⁄₂ years.^[1][2] From 2002 through 2006, she was Deputy Secretary of State and Director of Administration at the Rhode Island Department of State. She also worked for Fleet Securities, was the program officer for economic and community development for the Rhode Island Foundation, and founded the Rhode Island Latino Civic Fund.

In 2014, incumbent Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis was ineligible to run for reelection due to term limits. Gorbea resigned from Housing Works Rhode Island in July 2013 in order to run in the election to succeed Mollis.^[1] She ran her campaign on a platform of making elections fair, fast and accurate, ensuring that Rhode Island businesses can easily start and thrive, bringing transparency to government and increasing civic engagement.^[2] Gorbea defeated Guillaume de Ramel in the Democratic Party's primary election, 52% to 48%,^[3] and Republican Party nominee John Carlevale in the general election, 60% to 39%.^[4]

Personal life

Gorbea is a native of Puerto Rico. She received her bachelor's degree from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and her master's degree in public administration from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.^[2][5] She moved to Rhode Island in the mid 1990s, and lives in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.^[1]

Gorbea and her husband, Steve, have three daughters.^[6]

Electoral history

References

External links

• Profile at Project Vote Smart