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The mayor of Providence, R.I., and a former state Democratic Party official are running for Patrick Kennedy's U.S. House seat.
Kennedy announced this week that he would not seek a ninth term.
Providence Mayor David Cicilline said Saturday he's in the race. In 2002, the 48-year-old attorney became the first openly gay man elected mayor of Providence. He promised to clean up city government after a City Hall corruption scandal.
Former Democratic Party chairman Bill Lynch, a 52-year-old attorney, also formally declared himself a candidate for Kennedy's seat.
Both candidates cited job creation and the economy as important issues. The unemployment rate in Rhode Island is nearly 13 percent.