Beth Newberry

2026 Campaign Platform

Beth Newberry released a statement on July 1st announcing her decision to run for Town Council, while also staying off social media for the campaign cycle, noting the divisiveness created by some members of the community. We provide that statement below.

“I am excited to share that I have made the decision to run for Town Council. I have lived in North Smithfield for most of my adult life and raised my children here. I would love the opportunity to help lead the town in a positive direction.

I have made the decision that I will not be running a social media campaign for this election. I use Facebook to keep in touch with family and friends and share reels from my Instagram business page. I've found that social media has become more and more divisive where politics are concerned and, while I will occasionally weigh in with my opinion on a specific issue I am actively working on (such as the Charter Review Committee and Groundwater Protection Committee on which I currently serve), I choose not to engage in the divisiveness. Like most people (I am guessing) I care deeply about issues of local concern. I find that on social media (and I am not talking our town specifically, just in general) there are too often a few loud voices shouting at each other and trying to score points with all too little true discourse. The real discussions get lost in the noise and tone can be misinterpreted.

I will be campaigning later this summer, walking in town. I will issue press releases. I will have signs. I had several people ask for signs during my last campaign and had to turn them down because I had run out. If you know you would like to host a sign for me please feel free to let me know now so I can start my list and make sure everyone who wants one has one. Each person who felt strongly about having my sign in their yard last time meant the world to me and I took that responsibility of making you proud if I won very seriously.

In The News

In this section, we have searched for articles in The Valley Breeze, NRI Now, and The Local Insider from 2025 and 2026 that mention the candidate and provided the links.

• August 18, 2026 TLI: The Groundwater Protection Committee invites residents to a Sept. 14 open house on water testing, conservation, and superfund sites; member Beth Newberry credits former chair Cynthia Roberts' strategic planning as key to the committee's recent success.

• July 9, 2026 TVB: Coverage of the North Smithfield School Committee and legislative races notes Beth Newberry previously ran against Scott Gibbs for town administrator in 2024, highlighting her volunteer background and 15+ years running a direct sales business with Pure Haven.

• May 21, 2026 TVB: Announcement of a June 8 public PFAS update meeting on elevated levels found in the fire station well; Beth Newberry is listed as the Groundwater Protection Committee contact for residents with questions.

• December 18, 2025 TVB: At a hearing on HT Auto/Leo's Auto junkyard violations, Beth Newberry and Sarah Levesque of the Groundwater Protection Committee warn that pollutants from the site could threaten nearby reservoirs and urge the council to use its authority to protect water resources.

• December 18, 2025 TVB: At a quarry overlay hearing, Beth Newberry argues Material Sand & Stone could have already implemented proposed safeguards on its own and says the company can't be trusted not to disrupt the site and contaminate the aquifer.

• November 6, 2025 NRI: Coverage of a resident-organized emergency SNAP food drive credits Beth Newberry, alongside organizer Ann Lilley, with helping coordinate donations and distribution, drawing in fellow Groundwater Protection Committee members and Councilor Rebecca DeCristofaro. The benefit of this drive to the Food Pantry has not been reported.

• November 4, 2025 NRI: At a retirement recognition for longtime NSEMA director Peter Branconnier, Beth Newberry presents a citation on behalf of her divisive, argumentative, scoring political points on social media husband, Rep. Brian Newberry.

• October 21, 2025 TVB: Former Groundwater Protection Committee member Liane Jalette tells the Council it needs to better respect and listen to volunteers after resigning in frustration; the article notes co-leaders Cynthia Roberts and Beth Newberry had presented a strategic plan in September to clarify the committee's role.

• September 18, 2025 TVB: Groundwater Protection Committee Vice Chair Beth Newberry and Chair Cynthia Roberts present the committee's first strategic plan to the Council, with Newberry saying the group's role "should be to help you make the best decisions you can for the town."

• August 21, 2025 TVB: Coverage of Groundwater Protection Committee resignations identifies Beth (Elizabeth W.) Newberry as committee co-chair alongside Cynthia Roberts, with Councilor Rebecca DeCristofaro serving as secretary.

• July 31, 2025 TVB: Liane Jalette resigns from the Groundwater Protection Committee, calling its work "an effort in futility"; co-chairs Beth Newberry and Cynthia Roberts tell The Breeze they were surprised by the resignation, with Newberry speculating that "people get discouraged when the work they do doesn't go anywhere."

• May 29, 2025 TVB: Coverage of free PFAS testing following elevated levels at the fire station well quotes Beth Newberry, vice chair of the Groundwater Protection Committee, stressing the need for broader awareness given nearby schools on private wells.

• May 20, 2025 NRI: Coverage of state PFAS testing near fire stations and former landfills; resident Beth Newberry asks why artificial turf fields were not among the list of targeted sites.

• May 16, 2025 NRI: Beth (Elizabeth) Newberry is named as one of five members appointed to a council-appointed volunteer board, alongside Kevin Newton, Jeffrey Porter, and Gregory Burnep.

• March 20, 2025 TVB: Amid calls for independent review of quarry-funded expert testimony, Beth Newberry and Patricia Griffin are cited among residents urging the town to conduct its own environmental assessments rather than rely solely on Material Sand & Stone's hired specialists.

• March 6, 2025 TVB: At a Material Sand & Stone quarry overlay hearing, former town administrator candidate Beth Newberry questions whether the council should trust assessments from experts hired by Pound Hill Realty, urging an independent specialist instead.