Our History
The history of Cranston is deeply intertwined with that of the Cranston Republican Party. Since Cranston became a city in 1910, Republicans have held the office of mayor for all but 14 years. Also, after 1910, Republicans have held a majority on the city council for most of that time period. During the first half of the 20th century, under Republican leadership, Cranston turned from a small town into Rhode Island’s first suburb. To make Cranston an attractive place to buy a home, and raise a family, Republicans supported various improvements in city and school services, and adopted a zoning code that protected homeowners.
In the second half of the 20th century, Republicans were instrumental in adopting a home rule charter for Cranston under which a merit based civil service system was established, open government requirements were adopted, and the mayor was given the ability to efficiently administer the city. Also, Cranston Republicans supported the adoption of a zoning code which allowed Cranston to keep its rural character in western Cranston, allowed for new industrial development, but still protected suburban neighborhoods.
In this century, Cranston nearly went bankrupt when Democrats controlled the mayor’s office and entire city council. Republicans were able to restore financial stability to the city. Republicans replenished the city’s rainy-day fund, funded municipal employee retirement obligations, and adopted pension reforms. Today, Cranston has a strong credit rating, and a stable tax rate.
