Stefan Pryor
Stefan Pryor was the Connecticut Commissioner of Education. Pryor assumed office on September 7, 2011. Pryor left office on January 6, 2015.
Pryor (Democratic Party) ran for election for Rhode Island General Treasurer. Pryor lost in the Democratic primary on September 13, 2022.
Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo (D) selected Pryor to be the state's first commerce secretary in 2015. He was unanimously confirmed by the Rhode Island State Senate.[1]
Biography
From 2006 to 2011, Pryor served as deputy mayor for economic development in the City of Newark, New Jersey. Pryor also served as the chairman of the Brick City Development Corporation, Newark’s economic development organization, which he helped to found.[2]
Prior to serving as deputy mayor, Pryor served as president of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which was created in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, to plan and help coordinate the physical rebuilding and economic revitalization of lower Manhattan.[2] From 1998 to 2001, Pryor served as the vice president for education at the Partnership for New York City.[2]
Education
- Yale University, bachelor’s degree in psychology
- Yale University, law degree
- Yale Teacher Preparation Program[2]
Elections
2022
See also: Rhode Island Treasurer election, 2022
General election
General election for Rhode Island General Treasurer
James Diossa defeated James Lathrop in the general election for Rhode Island General Treasurer on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | James Diossa (D) | 54.3 | 190,775 |
| James Lathrop (R) | 45.5 | 159,834 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 555 | ||
| Total votes: 351,164 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Rhode Island General Treasurer
James Diossa defeated Stefan Pryor in the Democratic primary for Rhode Island General Treasurer on September 13, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | James Diossa | 55.6 | 58,335 |
 | Stefan Pryor | 44.4 | 46,675 | |
| Total votes: 105,010 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Rhode Island General Treasurer
James Lathrop advanced from the Republican primary for Rhode Island General Treasurer on September 13, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | James Lathrop | 100.0 | 18,477 | |
| Total votes: 18,477 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Stefan Pryor did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Pryor’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Why he’s running Stefan is running for Treasurer to keep building a healthier, more inclusive economy for Rhode Island.
Stefan is committed to managing the State’s finances responsibly – so we can grow the economy, expand opportunity, and enhance needed services for all Rhode Islanders. Stefan is the only candidate for Treasurer who has experience managing billions of dollars of investments. For more than two decades, governors and mayors have trusted Stefan to manage major investments, drive economic growth, and expand economic opportunity. As President of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, he managed billions of dollars of public investments related to the rebuilding the World Trade Center after 9/11. Following the Great Recession (and a period where Rhode Island had the highest unemployment rate in the country), Governor Gina Raimondo asked Stefan to lead Rhode Island’s economic comeback as Secretary of Commerce. Stefan was successful in building our economic momentum and attracting billions of dollars in investment to our state. Now having served across two governors, Stefan is proud that the state currently has its lowest unemployment rate on record and has had the strongest economic recovery from the COVID pandemic in the Northeast. This means more Rhode Islanders are finding opportunities right here in Rhode Island. But we cannot take this progress for granted. We must do more to secure our economic future.
As Treasurer, Stefan will work to strengthen our pension system — protecting taxpayers and securing retirement income for our valued first responders, teachers, nurses, and public servants. Stefan’s goal will be to grow the pension fund so Rhode Island can restore benefits ahead of schedule. Even though significant work remains, there has been substantial progress made towards growing the fund through the work of recent treasurers. Prior to 2011, Rhode Island found itself in a precarious situation – with over 10% of the State’s budget dedicated to pensions and with the 2 nd lowest combined funding ratio nationally. We need to build upon the progress that has occurred since then. Stefan’s approach includes:
We need to offer help on an ongoing basis to our small businesses, the lifeblood of our economy. As Commerce Secretary, one of Stefan’s earliest acts was to help create the first-in-memory (and perhaps the first-ever) state-backed small business loan program. Stefan also teamed up to bring attention to the inequities entrepreneurs of color face in accessing resources, resulting in millions of dollars of new resources dedicated to minority-owned businesses. When the pandemic hit, Stefan worked around the clock to keep our small businesses afloat and help them adapt. He worked with small businesses across the state to help them access federal resources and fought to deliver over 10,000 grants to small businesses through State programs. Stefan worked closely with small businesses as they navigated the pandemic – and helped them at every turn. As Stefan talks to small business owners across the state, he continues to hear a need for more assistance in accessing financing. We scaled up small business support during the pandemic, and we should build upon the progress we made. As Treasurer, Stefan will enable the Treasurer’s office to offer continuing small business financing – including access for minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses. We will work to make all government forms and filings for small businesses digital – partnering with the Governor and various departments of the administration, the Secretary of State, and cities and towns to create an electronic one-stop shop for small business. And we will continuously and persistently work to decrease the number of forms and amount of red tape. Stefan will also continue advocacy regarding the reform and reduction of the tangible tax on small businesses. Small businesses have already paid sales tax on equipment and furniture and shouldn’t have to keep paying tangible taxes every year on these same items. This tax impacts our smallest businesses disproportionately.
Domestic violence victims and survivors face many challenges in addition to the physical and mental impacts of abuse. Rhode Islanders experiencing domestic violence shouldn’t have to worry about their finances or face barriers, such as being unable to safely access joint bank accounts, when leaving an abusive situation. Multiple forms of assistance are necessary to help support survivors. As Treasurer, Stefan will – together with community agencies, banking institutions, and other partners – strengthen and offer financial tools to help those leaving abusive relationships. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe physical violence, rape, and/or stalking from their spouse or partner. Domestic violence survivors often face very serious challenges with economic and financial abuse – often limiting their ability to afford necessities on their own. Victims and survivors are too often forced to choose between staying in an abusive relationship and being out on the street or in tough financial circumstances. In fact, the NCADV estimates that 94 to 99 percent of domestic violence survivors have experienced financial abuse. Substantial numbers lose their jobs every year due to reasons stemming from the abuse. The Treasurer’s office oversees the Rhode Island’s Crime Victim Compensation Fund. Stefan will build upon this program to help survivors stay safe and get back on their feet financially. In doing so, he will – together with other agencies and organizations – enhance, streamline, and create tools that enable domestic violence survivors to obtain financial resources and technical assistance including:
Private companies have lots of choices in how they treat their workers and impact our communities. Through our pension fund investments, Rhode Island can advocate for our values. Rhode Island has already made progress in ensuring that our pension dollars aren’t going to support Russian companies following the violence in Ukraine and that they’re not invested with assault weapon manufacturers and private prisons. These have been important steps. As Treasurer, Stefan will build upon this precedent by using the tools available to the Treasurer’s office – including Rhode Island’s voice, vote, and investment and divestment power – to affect business practices, policies, and activities. The specific approach we take will depend upon the precise circumstances and the approach needs to be selected carefully (with the strength of our investment returns always in mind). Among the items we will track is the business practices of international companies, including Chinese corporations, with which we have investments – for example, monitoring whether they violate trade-related and currency-related rules (rule violations which, it should be noted, have the potential to put our investment returns at risk). Stefan will also partner with other like-minded states and pension funds across the country to maximize the impact of Rhode Island’s efforts.
With temperatures rising, waters rising, and storm activity intensifying, the climate crisis is a real threat to Rhode Island’s future. Bold action is needed to meet Rhode Island’s commitment to reduce climate-warming emissions 45% by 2030 and to reach net-zero by 2050. Environmental stewardship has been important to Stefan throughout his career. He will prioritize fighting climate change and boosting renewable energy through offshore wind initiatives. As Rhode Island’s Commerce Secretary, Stefan served as a champion for Rhode Island’s 400 MW Revolution Wind project and for continuing to procure additional offshore wind energy. As part of that effort, he helped secure approximately $135 million to help sustain offshore wind development in Rhode Island and helped attract a cluster of renewable energy and offshore wind technology companies to the State. As Treasurer, Stefan will:
Having spent much of his career creating opportunities and building economic security for people, Stefan understands how public officials can positively impact the daily lives of Rhode Islanders. In a world gone digital, access to a bank account is a necessity. And banking remains key to building household wealth. Yet the barriers to entry, especially for low- and middle-income Rhode Islanders, can be challenging. As Treasurer, Stefan will partner with financial institutions to expand access to low-cost, accessible bank accounts for unbanked and underbanked households. The goal will be to have low or no overdraft fees, no denials due to poor credit, and no grandiose requirements early in the banking experience. Instead, banks would offer easy access tax help for low-income individuals, benefits screening, FASFA application assistance, financial counseling, and meaningful low-interest loans. Together, we can remove the obstacles that block unbanked Rhode Islanders and can help all access the financial help they deserve.
Many Rhode Islanders find themselves in challenging financial situations that started with an accident, an emergency, a medical bill, or a simple mistake, but that have been compounded by crushing fines and fees that leave them feeling trapped. As Treasurer, Stefan will work to help Rhode Islanders break this cycle and help Rhode Islanders get out of debt. He will work to connect people with pathways to get out from under crushing fines and fees, move towards financial banking relationships, and remedy credit challenges. He will also help Rhode Islanders build credit. For example, he will partner with community development financial institutions, philanthropy, and other partners to offer loan guarantees and other instruments.
Many Rhode Islanders are finding it harder than ever to afford the building blocks for a bright future that previous generations took for granted. For instance, obtaining the education and skills they need for a good job and stable career, or buying a home where they can build a life. That is why as Commerce Secretary Stefan worked with the General Assembly to create the Wavemaker Fellowship, which has now provided student loan relief to over 1,000 Rhode Islanders. It is also why states like Connecticut and the District of Columbia have proposed and introduced “baby bond” programs, providing low-income children a firmer financial foundation for adulthood and helping close the wealth gap. As General Treasurer, Stefan will increase the state’s efforts to ensure every young Rhode Islander begins adulthood with a firm financial foundation. Stefan will leverage the resources of the Office of the General Treasurer and expand programs that enable Rhode Islanders to afford college and training, buy a home or start a business. Young people of every community and background deserve at least as good a chance as previous generations to build a life here in the Ocean State.
With gas prices through the roof and prices overall up more than 9% just over the last year, Rhode Islanders are facing tough choices about what to cut back — from groceries to medications to fuel. With many Rhode Islanders feeling the squeeze, we must do more to address the costs that families and businesses – especially small businesses – face. As Treasurer, Stefan will work to lower costs. As part of the solution, he will advocate to reduce the State’s sales tax (especially if budget surpluses are expected) to provide Rhode Islanders relief at the checkout. The sales tax is a regressive tax that hits middle income and lower income residents the hardest. So, keeping the sales tax under control will help everyday Rhode Islanders in a real way. Reducing the sales tax will also help us compete with our neighboring states. Massachusetts and Connecticut both have lower sales tax rates – 6.35% for Connecticut and 6.25% for Massachusetts. Rhode Island’s rate is 7%. This higher rate means that Rhode Islanders pay more for goods and services – and means that retail businesses across the state border have an advantage over Rhode Island’s shops and stores.
Making it more affordable to live in our state is a top priority for Stefan. The average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment has gone up by over 30% in just the last 2 years and the average single-family sales price is up almost 40% in that same time. These price increases (on top of increasing prices for gas and groceries) are making it harder for many Rhode Islanders – from young families starting out to working families trying to make ends meet to seniors striving to stay in their homes. As Commerce Secretary, Stefan joined with allies to propose the State’s first recurring funding stream to invest in housing affordability and championed the State’s $250 million investment in housing from federal stimulus funds. The Treasurer has a crucial platform – both as a member of the RI Housing board and through its role in promoting investment in our state – to make sure Rhode Island keeps committing resources to housing affordability. Stefan will work hard to keep making progress in this essential area.
Every child in Rhode Island deserves to learn in a school that is safe, warm, dry, and conducive to teaching and learning. Our teachers and students should not have to worry about safety breaches or leaky ceilings. Rhode Island launched a school construction program in 2018 that has already repaired or replaced nearly 200 school buildings serving over 100,000 students across the state. As General Treasurer, Stefan will expand this effort, working with school districts to take it even further. He will work to ensure that green building standards like LEED are followed on construction projects. He will also ensure the school construction program provides ample resources for school safety. As Connecticut Education Commissioner during and after the Sandy Hook shooting, Stefan knows how important school safety is. As Treasurer, Stefan will make sure students across Rhode Island get to learn in high quality and secure public school facilities.
Helping our cities and towns stay in or get on firm financial footing is a priority for Stefan. Stefan knows how important it is to have cities and towns that can afford to invest in their people, their quality of life, and a healthy economy. Despite progress on the municipal pension front here in Rhode Island, significant work remains. More than 115 municipal pension plans have joined the Rhode Island’s Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (MERS) which enables our cities and towns to benefit from the State’s professional management and economies of scale. The State’s MERS system is now more than 80% funded. However, the remaining 30+ pension plans administered directly by cities and towns are only 49% funded with an estimated $2.8 billion unfunded liability. Not only does this liability hold these communities back financially, but it is also a big risk for valued public servants who are worried about having a healthy retirement. As Treasurer, Stefan will offer professional technical assistance from Treasury staff to assist cities and towns as they evaluate options for addressing their fiscal health, particularly around unfunded pension and benefits liability. Stefan will support cities and towns that wish to explore entry into the State’s Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (MERS) while protecting the State’s system to make sure pre-existing retirees’ benefits are not jeopardized by new entrants.[3] |
” |
| —Stefan Pryor’s campaign website (2022)[4] | ||
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Register Citizen, "Ex-Connecticut official OK’d as Rhode Island commerce secretary," February 4, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Connecticut Commissioner of Education, "Pryor Biography" accessed October 2, 2012
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Stefan Pryor’s campaign website, “Issues,” accessed October 31, 2022
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by ' |
Connecticut Commissioner of Education 2011-2015 |
Succeeded by Dianna Wetzell |
 |
State of Rhode Island Providence (capital) |
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