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John J. Lombardi

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John J. Lombardi
Member of the
Rhode Island House of Representatives
from the 8th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 2013
Preceded byMichael Tarro
Chief Judge of the Providence Municipal Court
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 18, 2023
Preceded byFrank Caprio
Associate Judge of the Providence Municipal Court
In office
2014–2023
35th Mayor of Providence
Acting
In office
September 6, 2002 – January 6, 2003
Preceded byBuddy Cianci
Succeeded byDavid Cicilline
President of the Providence City Council
In office
1999–2006
Member of the Providence City Council from ward 13
In office
1984–2010
Personal details
Born (1952-04-30) April 30, 1952 (age 74)
PartyDemocratic Party
Alma mater
OccupationAttorney

John J. Lombardi (born April 30, 1952[1]) is an American politician, judge, and lawyer. A member of the Democratic Party from Providence, Rhode Island, he currently serves as a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives and as chief judge of the Providence Municipal Court. Lombardi previously served as on the Providence City Council, including as council president. While council president, he also he served on an acting basis as mayor of Providence for the four months between the conviction of Buddy Cianci and the election of David Cicilline.

Early life and education

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Lombardi was born April 30, 1952.[2] Lombardi grew up in Federal Hill on DePasquale Avenue[citation needed] and graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 1970.[2] He attended Rhode Island College,[2] earning a Bachelor of Arts[citation needed] in 1975.[2] He worked as a teacher, earning a Master of Arts in Secondary Education[citation needed] from Rhode Island College in 1982, before turning his interests to law. He received a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1987.[2]

Providence City Council

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In 1984, he was elected to the Providence City Council, representing Ward 13, serving for over 26 years.[2] His district representd the neighborhoods of Federal Hill and West End.

In 1999, Lombardi was elected President of the City Council, and served until 2006. When Vincent Cianci was convicted and was forced to step down, Lombardi, as City Council President, took over.[3]

Lombardi ran for mayor in 2010, but lost the Democratic primary election to Angel Taveras, finishing second with 29% of the vote to Taveras's 48%.[4]

Rhode Island State House

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In 2012, Lombardi won a three-way race to represent the neighborhoods of Federal Hill, Manton and Olneyville in the Rhode Island House of Representatives.

Lombardi serves as Second Vice Chair of the House Special Legislation Committee as well as a member of the House Small Business Committee and the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.[2]

In 2013, Lombardi introduced a bill calling for term limits for members of the State Legislature.[5] In February 2020, Lombardi joined State Representative Ray Hull in introducing a bill to create a DCYF legislative oversight commission.[6] In 2023, Lombardi introduced legislation that would ban patient brokering, with penalties and enforcement for violations. The same year, he sponsored a bill to impose mandatory training standards on police officers and police trainees in identifying, responding, and addressing incidents involving individuals with developmental disabilities. That same year, he also introduced a bill to make possession of a used catalytic converter a felony offense and to mandate recycling service providers to keep records related to catalytic converters.[2]

Lombardi has sponsored bills that would prohibit residential landlords from inquiring about the previous incarceration of a rental applicant, and which would prohibit them from discriminating against individuals who have been released from prison. In 2024, he sponsored legislation to allow additional residents of a residential dwelling to extend the term of a rental agreement for a three-month period after the death of a lessee. He also has sponsored legislation to permit for multiple non-violent convictions to be expunged from a criminal record ten years subsequent to the completion of a sentence for the felonies.[2]

Municipal Court judge

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In 2014, Lombardi began serving as an associate judge of the Providence Municipal Court. On January 18, 2022, the Providence City Council appointed Lombardi the Chief Judge of the court, with Lombardi succeeding outgoing Frank Caprio.[2][7]

Other work

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Lombardi works as a lawyer. He was formerly the president of Federal Hill House and Zuccolo Recreation Center.[2]

Personal life

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Lombardi and his wife, Denise, live in Providence.[2]

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References

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  1. ↑ "Representative John J. Lombardi". State of Rhode Island General Assembly. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Representative John J. Lombardi". Rhode Island Legislature. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  3. ↑ Mehren, Elizabeth (September 7, 2002). "Providence Mayor Gets Prison Sentence for Corruption". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  4. ↑ McHugh, Andrea (September 15, 2010). "Taveras Victorious in Democratic Primary for Providence Mayor". GoLocalProv. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  5. ↑ Fesperman, Will (January 29, 2013). "Rep. seeks to pass term-limit legislation". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  6. ↑ "House Resolution Creating an Emergency Oversight Commission on the Department of Children, Youth, and Families" (PDF). State of Rhode Island General Assembly. February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  7. ↑ Russo, Amy (January 19, 2023). "John Lombardi becomes chief judge in Providence as Caprio gets volunteer emeritus role". The Providence Journal. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
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