Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea is running to become the state's next governor in 2022.
Gorbea, a Democrat, is the first Latina to run for governor in New England. If she wins, Gorbea would also be the first Puerto Rican governor in the mainland.
Gorbea, 53, is no stranger to making history in public office. In 2015, she became the first Hispanic elected to statewide office in New England when she became secretary of state. She was re-elected to the position in 2018, and her term ends next year.
"Yes, they elected the first Latina statewide official, but almost more important than that is that I performed, that I delivered on what they hoped I would do," Gorbea told NBC News. "Many of them came up to me and encourage me to run for governor."
Gorbea said that as secretary of state, she modernized Rhode Island’s elections infrastructure, increased cybersecurity measures and brought both online and automated voter registration to the state. She has developed online resources and reduced red tape to make it easier for small businesses to start and grow.
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