Ex-convict seeking comeback leads race for Providence mayor: poll

BOSTON (Reuters) - Former Providence, Rhode Island, mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci, who served five years in prison after being convicted of racketeering, is leading in his bid to reclaim the job he held for 22 of the past 50 years, a poll released on Wednesday found. The 73-year-old candidate, running as an independent, has a narrow lead in a three-way race, though many voters said they remain undecided with six weeks to go until Election Day, according to the Providence Journal/WPRI-12 poll. Some 38 percent of 503 registered voters polled Sept. 14-17 said they planned to vote for Cianci, who also pleaded guilty to assaulting an acquaintance in separate case. Another 32 percent said they backed Democrat Jorge Elorza, while about 6 percent supported Republican Daniel Harrop. But nearly 24 percent of voters said they had yet to make up their minds, according to the poll, which had a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points. Elorza, a former state judge and law professor, has focused his campaign on improving the city's schools and trying to bring down unemployment. Cianci's campaign has also focused on economic issues as well as fighting crime by increasing police presence in Providence neighborhoods. Cianci served as Providence's mayor from 1975 to 1984 and again from 1991 to 2002. His first term ended after he pleaded guilty to assaulting an acquaintance in an incident tied to a martial dispute. His second ended when he was convicted of racketeering conspiracy after a sting operation that the FBI nicknamed "Operation Plunderdome," sending him to federal prison. (Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Susan Heavey)