Coffee with the Candidates: Lt. Governor Candidate Xay Khamsyvoravong

Innovate Newport is located at 513 Broadway. Parking is available in lots on either side of the building as well as some surrounding streets.

Please use the front, Broadway-facing entrance to the building and proceed through the lobby coffee shop to through the doors to the stairs or elevator and head to the 2nd floor.

The Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee cordially invites members of the business community to join incumbents and candidates running for office in R.I. for a casual coffee hour.

JULY 23

Lt. Governor Candidate

Xay Khamsyvoravong

Public service has always been Xay’s way of paying forward the kindness Rhode Islanders provided his family from the day his father’s arrived as a refugee in 1979.  From coaching youth sports to becoming Mayor of Newport, Xay has always worked to make RI better.

Rhode Island’s promise is rapidly fading as we face major challenges.  Xay is a leader with a track record of moving quickly to solve problems and put people first.

Watch Xay’s message about why he’s running, and read more below about his story.

Pronounced “Sigh” — is the former mayor of Newport, and has led a successful career taking on tough problems in business and government. 

Xay’s family lived the American Dream, starting with his father’s arrival as a refugee from Laos. Xay worked hard at the opportunities his family was afforded, waiting tables, serving coffee and coaching youth sports to help pay his way through Brown University. His mom, Dr. Linda Rexford, was a pediatrician in Providence, and instilled in him the importance of community and service.

After a successful career in business, Xay went back to school, attending Roger Williams School of Law where he met his wife, Alicia. They married and moved to Newport, where he was elected to the City Council and unanimously selected by his peers to serve as Mayor. In 2024, he was re-elected as a Councilor At-Large. 

During his time as Mayor, Newport made bold solutions to the challenges facing the City. Newport lowered taxes for working families, made major headway on middle-class and workforce housing, increased investment in schools, and refocused the city on building more infrastructure that will withstand the effects of climate change - creating the first resiliency department in the state that combined utilities, public works and planning.

Xay knows firsthand that we have to improve and expand health care for Rhode Islanders. When Newport Hospital’s Birthing Center was threatened with closure, Xay helped lead the fight to organize the community and keep the maternity unit open. 

Xay has a track record of addressing hard challenges head on. Over the course of his two-decade career, Xay worked with communities nationwide to help them reach their financial goals — from strengthening public employee pensions, to renewing infrastructure and rebuilding schools. 

Giving back has always been part of Xay’s life. As deputy chief of staff to Rhode Island’s state treasurer, he helped to successfully navigate the financial crisis of 2008. He also served as chairman of Providence Water— one of the region’s largest water utilities— for nearly a decade. As chairman, he shifted the utility onto its own solar power, saving nearly $1 million a year in energy costs, helping to keep water rates among the lowest in the state, and helped pilot programs for lead service line replacements.

For work in government and business, Xay has been named by Rhode Island Monthly, the Providence Journal, and Providence Business News as one of Rhode Island’s most impactful young leaders. In addition, he’s been featured by national outlets, including the New York Times, Boston Globe, and NPR for his public service.

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