Harold Metts
{{Short description|American politician (born 1947)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Harold Metts
|office = President pro tempore of the Rhode Island Senate
|term_start = January 3, 2017
|term_end = January 5, 2021
|predecessor = William Walaska
|successor = Hanna Gallo
|state_senate1 = Rhode Island
|district1 = 6th
|term_start1 = January 2005
|term_end1 = January 5, 2021
|predecessor1 = Dominick J. Ruggerio
|successor1 = Tiara Mack
|state_house2 = Rhode Island
|district2 = 19th
|term_start2 = January 1985
|term_end2 = December 31, 1998
|predecessor2 = ???
|successor2 = Aisha Abdullah-Odiase
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|10|6}}
|birth_place = Lexington, Virginia, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Democratic
|education = Roger Williams University (BA)
Bryant University
Rhode Island College (MEd)
|allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
|branch = {{army|United States}}
|serviceyears = 1970–1976
|unit = Rhode Island National Guard
}}
Harold M. Metts{{cite web |url= http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/7394 |title= Harold Metts' Biography |publisher= Project Vote Smart |access-date= March 10, 2014}} (born October 6, 1947) is an American politician who was a Democratic member of the Rhode Island Senate representing District 6 from January 2005 to January 2021.{{cite web |url=http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/senators/Metts |title=Senator Harold M. Metts |publisher=Rhode Island General Assembly |location=Providence, Rhode Island |access-date=March 10, 2014}}{{cite web |url=https://www.ri.gov/election/results/2020/statewide_primary/races/308.html |title=2020 Statewide Primary, Senator in General Assembly District 6 |publisher=Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date=September 11, 2020}} After Charles D. Walton, he is the second African American to serve in the Rhode Island Senate. Metts served non-consecutively in the Rhode Island General Assembly from January 1985 until December 31, 1998 in the Rhode Island House of Representatives.
Education
Metts was born in Lexington, Virginia. He earned his BS degree from Roger Williams University, his teaching certificate from Bryant College (now Bryant University), and his MEd from Rhode Island College.
Elections
- 1980s Metts was first elected in House District 19 in the November 6, 1984 General election and re-elected in the November 4, 1986 and November 8, 1988 general elections.
- 1990 Metts won the September 11, 1990 Democratic Primary and was unopposed for the November 6, 1990 General election, winning with 1,185 votes.{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ri.gov/elections/results/1990/rirep.php |title= 1990 Rhode Island Representatives |publisher= Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date= March 10, 2014}}
- 1992 Metts won the September 15, 1992 Democratic Primary and won the November 3, 1992 General election with 1,197 votes (85.5%) against Independent candidate Rebecca Douglas.{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ri.gov/elections/results/1992/rireps.php |title= 1992 Vote for Rhode Island House of Representatives |publisher= Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date= March 10, 2014}}
- 1994 Metts was unopposed for both the September 13, 1994 Democratic Primary and the November 8, 1994 General election, winning with 1,061 votes.{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ri.gov/elections/results/1994/rireps.php |title= 1994 General Election Vote for R.I. House of Representatives |publisher= Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date= March 10, 2014}}
- 1996 Metts was unopposed for the September 10, 1996 Democratic Primary, winning with 281 votes,{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ri.gov/elections/results/1996/rirepdem.php |title= 1996 Statewide Primary Vote for RI House of Representatives (Democrat) |publisher= Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date= March 10, 2014}} and won the November 5, 1996 General election with 1,156 votes (91.5%) against Republican nominee David Stahlbush.{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ri.gov/elections/results/1996/communityreps.php |title= 1996 Votes Cast for RI Representatives |publisher= Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date= March 10, 2014}}
- 2004 When District 6 Democratic Senator Dominick J. Ruggerio ran for re-election in District 4, Metts ran in the four-way September 14, 2004 Democratic Primary, winning with 1,341 votes (63.3%),{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ri.gov/elections/results/2004/statewideprimary/senatedistrict.php |title= 2004 Statewide Primary Senate Results by District |publisher= Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date= March 10, 2014}} and was unopposed for the November 2, 2004 General election with 5,019 votes.{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ri.gov/elections/results/2004/generalelection/statesenate.php |title= 2004 General Election State Senate Results by District |publisher= Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date= March 10, 2014}}
- 2006 Metts was unopposed for both the September 12, 2006 Democratic Primary, winning with 1,714 votes,{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ri.gov/elections/results/2006/primary/statesenate.php |title= 2006 Statewide Primary State Senate Results by District |publisher= Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date= March 10, 2014}} and the November 7, 2006 General election, winning with 4,804 votes.{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ri.gov/elections/results/2006/generalelection/senatesummary.php |title= 2006 General Election Senate Summary Results by District |publisher= Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date= March 10, 2014}}
- 2008 Metts was unopposed for the September 9, 2008 Democratic Primary, winning with 736 votes,{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ri.gov/elections/results/2008/statewide_primary/races/108.php |title= 2008 Statewide Primary, Senator in General Assembly District 6 |publisher= Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date= March 10, 2014}} and won the November 4, 2008 General election with 6,509 votes (90.6%) against Republican nominee Marc Coda.{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ri.gov/elections/results/2008/general_election/races/260.php |title= 2008 General Election, Senator in General Assembly District 6 |publisher= Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date= March 10, 2014}}
- 2010 Metts was challenged in the September 23, 2010 Democratic Primary, winning with 1,958 votes (70.7%),{{cite web |url= http://www.ri.gov/election/results/2010/statewide_primary/races/106.html |title= 2010 Statewide Primary, Senator in General Assembly District 6 |publisher= Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date= March 10, 2014}} and was unopposed for the November 2, 2010 General election, winning with 4,021 votes.{{cite web |url= http://www.ri.gov/election/results/2010/general_election/races/113.html |title= 2010 General Election, Senator in General Assembly District 6 |publisher= Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date= March 10, 2014}}
- 2012 Metts was unopposed for the September 11, 2012 Democratic Primary, winning with 1,545 votes,{{cite web |url= http://www.ri.gov/election/results/2012/statewide_primary/races/108.html |title= 2012 Statewide Primary, Senator in General Assembly District 6 |publisher= Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date= March 10, 2014}} and won the November 6, 2012 General election, winning with 6,294 votes (91.8%) against Republican nominee Russell Hryzan.{{cite web |url= http://www.ri.gov/election/results/2012/general_election/races/110.html |title= 2012 General Election, Senator in General Assembly District 6 |publisher= Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date= March 10, 2014}}
- Metts was challenged by Tiara Mack in the September 8, 2020 Democratic primary, losing with 1,011 votes (40.2%) against 1,506 votes (59.8%).{{cite web |url=https://www.ri.gov/election/results/2020/statewide_primary/races/308.html |title=2020 Statewide Primary, Senator in General Assembly District 6 |publisher=Secretary of State of Rhode Island |location= Providence, Rhode Island |access-date=September 11, 2020}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/senators/Metts Official page] at the Rhode Island General Assembly
- {{CongLinks | congbio = | votesmart = 7394 | fec = | congress = }}
- [http://ballotpedia.org/Harold_Metts Harold Metts] at Ballotpedia
- [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/uniquecandidate.phtml?uc=1838 Harold M. Metts] at the National Institute on Money in State Politics
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-ri-sen}}
{{s-bef|before=William Walaska}}
{{s-ttl|title=President pro tempore of the Rhode Island Senate|years=2017–2021}}
{{s-aft|after=Hanna Gallo }}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Metts, Harold}}
Category:21st-century members of the Rhode Island General Assembly
Category:African-American state legislators in Rhode Island
Category:Bryant University alumni
Category:People from Lexington, Virginia
Category:Politicians from Providence, Rhode Island
Category:Rhode Island College alumni
Category:Democratic Party Rhode Island state senators
Category:Roger Williams University alumni
Category:21st-century African-American politicians
Category:20th-century African-American politicians
Category:20th-century members of the Rhode Island General Assembly
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