With a sputtering local economy and high voter disapproval, Gov. Daniel J. McKee needed some good news ahead of a looming reelection campaign.
He got it, in the form of some political points at least, with the return of Stefan Pryor as secretary of commerce.
Pryor was one of the few candidates for the job with the ability to hit the ground running, having served as the first commerce secretary from 2015 to 2022. State business leaders lauded his work during the early stages of the pandemic. He was also a key player in reviving redevelopment of Providence’s “Superman” building and financing support for Pawtucket’s soccer stadium.
While his subsequent 18-month tenure as Rhode Island’s first housing secretary produced mixed results, he is a known quantity to state business and political leaders.
Whether that translates to meaningful statewide economic development in a politically charged election year remains to be seen.
But he’ll get a several months’ head start, with the seemingly stalled “Superman” redevelopment hopefully on his early to-do list.