Clarification on Jessica Beauchaine’s Election Withdrawal

In last month’s edition of The Reporter, an election update regarding Jessica Beauchaine’s decision to withdraw from her School Committee re-election campaign prompted Beauchaine to provide additional information and clarification.  The article was written by Bob Rodericks with information gathered by public social media video, other postings and news accounts.  The article stated that Beauchaine’s “withdrawal from the election came after controversy surrounding her ability to obtain the necessary signatures from registered voters. It further states that she submitted 92 signatures but could not provide proof that they were presented in her presence.”  This statement is false,” states Beauchaine. 

A complaint was made based upon a now deleted social media post by Beauchaine, inviting registered voters to sign her nomination papers that were left on her porch, seemingly unsupervised at times. Following the complaint, a special hearing was held before the East Providence Canvassing Board challenging Beauchaine’s nomination signatures.

The local canvassing board rejected the challenge against Beauchaine in a 2-1 vote of the three-member panel.  “The Canvassing Board voted in my favor, 2-1, determining that 91 of my signatures were valid (50 are needed). I was present and able to provide information regarding the signatures, and the claim that I was not present to observe the signings is inaccurate,” according to Beauchaine.  An appeal of that decision was filed with the R.I. Board of Elections, but Beauchaine had withdrawn from the election by then.

The article in question also stated that Chrissy Rossi would be unopposed on the November ballot.  After press time, an additional candidate, Anthony Pedulla, came forward officially declaring for the Ward 4 School Committee seat.

In a social media statement, Beauchaine gave this account (in part) of her withdrawal decision:        

“After much thought, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the upcoming East Providence School Committee election. Although I was successful in the recent hearing regarding my candidacy, I believe this is the right decision for me at this time.  For the past 12 consecutive years, it has been an incredible honor to serve the residents of East Providence. Looking back, I am proud of all that we have accomplished together. I have always led with one goal in mind—doing what is best for our students.

During my time on the School Committee, I have worked to support the construction and opening of new school facilities, advocate for students with diverse learning needs, strengthen school safety initiatives, promote transparency and fiscal responsibility, support our teachers and staff, and ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed. I have been present in our schools, listened to families, celebrated our students' achievements, and worked collaboratively to make decisions that put children first.  While my name will no longer appear on the ballot, my commitment to our community has not changed. I will proudly serve out the remainder of my current term through January 2027…”