Paplauskas Announces Ward 5 Council Bid

Chris Paplauskas, a Republican and father of two children, has announced his candidacy for the Ward 5 City Council seat.

Paplauskas, who came just a few hundred votes shy of winning the seat in 2012, said he's ready to give it another shot and will focus on business development, improving and beautifying the city's streets and parks and more.

"It’s time to roll up our sleeves, take pride in our city, and get to work for our community," he said. "Let’s fix our roads, repair our sidewalks, plant trees and place benches throughout Ward 5 for our citizens to gather.”

The last time a Republican was elected to the Cranston City Council from Ward 5 was 1940. Running for the second time, Paplauskas said he has the support of independents and the vast majority of the local business community.

Steven Frias, Historian and Author of Cranston and Its Mayors commented, “I think Chris will make history this November. It will be a victory not just for Chris but for the people of Ward 5.” 

A manager at Falvey Linen Supply in Cranston, Paplauskas said "Once elected I will concentrate my efforts on creating an environment where families and businesses can grow. I look forward to working with other members of the council to support our small business community and work hard to bring property tax relief to homeowners."

Paplauskas also has the backing of Nick Lima, chairman of the Republican City Committee and Cranston Mayor Allan W. Fung.

Mayor Allan Fung commented,

"Chris is exactly the kind of hard-working, invigorating leader Ward 5 deserves," Lima said. "Our city needs younger, fiscally-minded public servants like Chris Paplauskas to keep the people of Ward 5 and the City of Cranston moving forward. The people of Ward 5 could not be better represented by anyone else."

Fung said Paplausaks manages to dedicate time to the city and its residents even though he has a busy work life. 

"Chris also makes sure that he gives of his time to others and still manages to dedicate countless hours to coaching our youth in Little League. He is the type of dedicated person that our community needs and will represent Ward 5 well," Fung said.

Paplausaks, 31, the father of Aidan and Sophia, said he is running because he wants his children to start their own families here in Cranston.

"I believe if we start now we can change the current environment and create a place where our families can remain for generations," he said. "This isn’t about one election; this is about our city’s future. I look forward to being the first Republican elected in Ward 5 in over 70 years; the people have waited long enough.”