Dr. Nelly Burdette Could Flip a Rural-Suburban Senate District in Rhode Island

In this episode, Dr. Nelly Burdette, Psy D, shares her journey from healthcare professional to political candidate, emphasizing the importance of community engagement, health equity, and addressing local issues like housing and public trust. Her approach highlights how expertise in public health can reshape legislative priorities at the state level, especially in a diverse district.

Key Topics:

• Nelly Burdette’s background in healthcare and what motivated her to run for State Senate
• The significance of running at the community level versus higher office
• How her public health experience informs her legislative priorities
• The pressing issues in her district: healthcare access, affordable housing, and aging
• Strategies for rebuilding trust and engagement within the community
• The importance of creative solutions to housing shortages, avoiding green space development
• The role of small businesses and local economic health
• The dynamic district of Lincoln, North Smithfield, and North Providence
• Her stance on local legislative support and recent political debates
• The challenge of infrastructure and resource sustainability for new housing projects
• Her motivation for challenging the incumbent and the potential impact on local politics
• The importance of party involvement and tactical campaigning in local races

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction / background and political campaign

02:03 - Why focus on local community engagement over higher offices

04:46 - Support from Democratic groups and her community-based approach

08:25 - Major gaps in healthcare access and affordability in Rhode Island

10:21 - Vision for a better Rhode Island: Health, Aging, and Small Business

13:10 - Creative housing solutions: repurposing abandoned buildings and green space preservation

15:21 - Trust issues in Lincoln and rebuilding community ties

17:46 - The importance of local legislation and community responsiveness

20:06 - Immediate legislative priorities: healthcare and affordable housing initiatives

21:02 - Support for local policies and her stance on key political issues

22:41 - Challenges with housing development on Wilbur Road and sustainability concerns

24:28 - The broader significance of community-level leadership and expertise in governance

26:08 - Final thoughts on running to create meaningful change and the role of political strategy

Transcript

Bill Bartholomew 0:00

Dr. Nellie Burdett, welcome to Bartholomewtown.

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Thank you. It's great to be here.

Bill Bartholomew 0:05

You're doing something that, you know, more and more people are looking at as a really bold choice, which is to run for public office. And look, let's let's talk about that decision and what led you to that in just a moment. But before we get into that, what's your background?

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Sure, I'd be happy to share that. So I am a psychologist. I've been working in healthcare for my entire career spanning a couple of decades. And I've been at the intersection of where the patients I help who are really complex medically are really struggling up against some of the systemic issues we have in our state as they relate to healthcare and housing and the economy. And as much as I've been able to help them individually, I've always sought to expand beyond that. And I do a little bit of that also in a nonprofit that I'm the chief clinical officer for. But again, kept coming up to barriers, translating what happens to individuals and myself at the front lines as a clinician and a healthcare provider to how that translates to policy. So professionally, I feel like this leap, which thank you for calling it bold, but for me, it just feels like a natural progression, is really the next step towards making sure that all of the expertise and experience I have gets translated into further good for the members of my community and the state.

Bill Bartholomew 1:40

You're a first-time candidate?

SPEAKER_00 1:42

Yes, I am.

Bill Bartholomew 1:43

Your orientation towards the General Assembly is impressive. And is particularly considering your background, your resume, your experience, it's something that others, especially those it seems in public health have not gotten into, let's say, General Assembly Council races, which are pretty, I would argue the General Assembly or State Senate is where this is a most important discussion. But a lot of quality people that bring a public health background only seem to want to get in if they're going to be running for governor or something like that. So that's an impressive orientation and frankly unusual. So why is it important to you to run at that uh community level for House of Representatives?

SPEAKER_00 2:30

You know, it's a great question. It's one that I did consider quite meaningfully because I am a working person, part of a working family, and I already have two other jobs. So when I thought about how could I make the most impact possible for the betterment of the community, this was that extension for me. It felt very reasonable to go from where I'm at now to this space. And frankly, I was always under the impression that democracy worked best when there was a diverse group of people with a diverse experience set, not always in agreement. In fact, that's what makes it stronger. And political parties aside, people that show up for their community and get engaged, in particular when there's disagreement, and do that in a civil and respectful way. So I've been trained very fortunately to do that as I approach the mental health and the physical health of patients. And so extending that to the General Assembly to me feels like potentially a place that needs it the most and that hasn't had the benefit, in particular in our state, of having enough diversity of people with different expertise.

Bill Bartholomew 3:52

Certainly an interesting uh race that you'll face uh against uh Thomas Paolino. And I say interesting because, like I alluded to earlier, it's just one of, he is just one of 10 Republicans in the House. And I'm trying to find another realistic um or or at this stage uh potentially vulnerable Republican seat in terms of flipping. It there there aren't a lot of them if there is another one. So this from the standpoint of the party, do you have a lot of support from the Democrat Party?

SPEAKER_00 4:25

You know, I want to say yes in a lot of different ways, but uh first can I go back to the first part where you mentioned about flipping seats and the limited number of Republicans? To me, this is not about flipping a seat. This is about showing up for your community. And if we had someone as the state senator in my district that at minimum showed up and engaged with the community in a thoughtful way, this situation might look different for me. But the reason I'm running is not a party ideology. I am, in fact, a Democrat. I've been a Democrat my entire life, but the party is not my identity, right? It's really about values. And I think that having someone that really engages thoughtfully with the community, goes to the doors, has public events, hears from people outside of bills and policies and issues that become a crisis, but really truly engages. That's what I've been looking for the entire time I've been in the district. I haven't found it. So a big push for me is doing that. The fact that the incumbent happens to be a Republican who doesn't do a number of those things is really the impetus in a number of ways for me to make this step. And as for party support, you know, I've been really fortunate. There's a Lincoln Town Democratic Party, there's a North Smithfield Town Democratic Party, been really supportive and engaged. And, you know, the state party has been very busy with session, and as I've made and tried to make some inroads, it has been a little bit more of a challenge, but it's one I'm hoping to overcome. I get that I'm the newcomer, I get that there's a lot of um other issues going on, and I'm really just moving forward with all of the support that I have, which I feel like at this point is more than enough.

Bill Bartholomew 6:31

All right, so this is interesting. So you're basically there's kind of two levels to this um campaign, if you will. One, there's your public health background and the lens that you're bringing, and there's four tenants that you lay out on your website access to affordable primary care, housing people can actually afford, supporting healthy aging from public education to retirement, ensuring small businesses can survive and thrive in the communities they serve. So you're bringing those priorities, if you will, to the table based on your experience. Those are certainly applicable to your district. They're certainly applicable to your community on a on a micro basis, a hyperlocal basis, if you will. But those are also um statewide regional, national, global problems, right? So you're kind of looking at it through a wider lens as well. But then there's also you're specifically saying that Representative Paolino is doing an insufficient job of connecting with his constituents, and that also motivates you?

SPEAKER_00 7:25

As a constituent, that is part of my motivation, yes.

Bill Bartholomew 7:30

Got it. What would you say right now, when you think about the work that you're doing, is the biggest gap between what our state offers? And I'm not necessarily talking about the state and state services, but the ecosystem public health-wise, small business-wise, um, generally speaking, or even from the state service standpoint, but in the work that you do on a day-to-day basis, what's the biggest challenge? What's the biggest gap that you would say, hey, this is a big problem for me to do my work to benefit this community, and I want to fix that?

SPEAKER_00 8:04

Yeah, no, it's a great question. And I would say it is very, very basically that the community that I work with professionally is a community that works hard and has done everything right. They have worked hard to create meaningful jobs, to be able to afford housing, healthcare, and a family that can thrive. And unfortunately, when they come to me, a number of those systems have broken down for them. It is too complex and too burdensome to be able to even sort out how do I find affordable healthcare? How do I set up a home that is affordable for me and that my family can stay in? And the levels that you have to be able to understand how to navigate are truly becoming more and more of a burden. So much of my work, in fact, has shifted from what I would say is clinical in nature to people who are truly struggling with mental health issues as they relate to their physical health or other things, including politics, by the way, lately. But how do you actually logistically set up the basics that you need to live a good life? And I really don't think that that is the kind of system that we want to be setting up in our state. It is the system that is set up. And if we want to shift that, we need to shift the people involved in it in order to change some of the rules so that more people can have access to a good, meaningful life.

Bill Bartholomew 9:49

Yeah. I couldn't agree more with that sentiment right there. And I think that if you were to share that with anybody, as you say, from an apolitical standpoint, I think you would get about, I don't know, other than the naysayer who's just out there to to be that guy or or person, um 99.9% of people would agree with that sentiment. So with that laid out, what does a better Rhode Island look like to you?

SPEAKER_00 12:41

A better Rhode Island, first and foremost, allows individuals to thrive from a healthcare perspective, from aging, and from being able to live in the community that they desire. So from a healthcare perspective, that means getting healthcare, having it be accessible, and working on some of those issues that are encouraging many clinicians who live in Rhode Island to work in other states because the pay is better in other states, the benefits are better. And that's an issue that we can solve. We can also look at the access of having good relationships in primary care so that you feel like a trust has developed that in the midst of technology and all the other pieces that afford us convenience, also that we don't lose sight of quality. And within that, having healthcare be affordable. You know, healthcare rates have been going up pretty astronomically year after year. And we're really fortunate in Rhode Island that we have various state groups that are looking at that and trying to contain those costs. But unfortunately, that is not trickling down to the consumer. And so having more experts as well as the people impacted by these issues in the room, which is the work I do every day. I'm not an expert in all of the things, but I know when to bring people in and I know how to sit with differences and find a movement towards consensus. So for healthcare, accessibility and affordability. For housing, it's pretty similar as well. One of the hot button issues in the district has been building new housing. All of the municipalities have a certain mandate from the state that they have to increase their affordable housing by a certain amount because the state is experiencing a housing crisis, amongst many other things. And in my district in particular, there is a really lovely amount of green space. And some of that green space is being thought of as being used for new housing. So, what I'm a proponent of is leaving as much natural green space as we can and thinking about some of the abandoned mill buildings, which we have a number of in the district, some of the, you know, return to work buildings that have not been returned to work, these, you know, expansive buildings with cubicles right now that are sitting empty where workers used to, you know, be able to show up at and now do not. Why can't we think about creative reuse of some of that space as opposed to building on green lands? We do need more housing. We do need it to be more affordable. But let's be creative about how we approach that. And last, as we think about aging, Rhode Island has the largest proportion per capita of aging individuals in the country. There are more people over the age of 85 per capita in Rhode Island than anywhere else. And so having that information, because I work a lot with different state offices, having that information is really important to think do we have the infrastructure we need for this community? And what would that look like, especially as social isolation, loneliness, depression, and anxiety are really increasing in our elder population. There are things we can put in place that have been well tested in other states and in research that have a strong evidence base. So thinking about that across the lifespan is really important to me. And then the small businesses, one of the things that brought me to Rhode Island and was so compelling is the uniqueness that family businesses and small businesses bring. Those need to be balanced, I understand, with bigger business, but there should be enough room for everyone. And that's what I want to create: a system that celebrates our differences and our uniqueness so that Rhode Island can become the state that I think we all know it could be.

Bill Bartholomew 17:08

How long you lived in the district?

SPEAKER_00 17:10

A little over 10 years.

Bill Bartholomew 17:12

Oh wow. And which town do you live in?

SPEAKER_00 17:15

I live in Lincoln.

Bill Bartholomew 17:17

What's the greatest challenge facing Lincoln right now?

SPEAKER_00 17:22

You know, as I've been going from door to door, which I've been doing for many months now, the residents have really struggled with their trust in government, in each other. Looking at things happening federally has been a point of disappointment for many that they bring to me. And again, as a psychologist, I I really see the fractures that a certain amount of disengagement and drawing lines like us versus them have caused. So what I'm trying to do at the doors is build bridges, which is what I do in my day-to-day life, and build bridges hypothetically, right? Between how can we think about trusting our neighbors and trusting the systems that are meant to support us again. And I and I ask people that in different ways. And then I see a little bit more engagement. But I think what my district community members that I've spoken to would say is looking past the sidewalks, looking past the potholes, and I hear a lot about that as well. The largest challenge and the most difficult one, but one that I think we need to name and start to focus on is how do we rebuild our trust with one another and with the systems that a democracy is meant to uphold.

Bill Bartholomew 19:06

Yeah, I mean, no question, a moment where social atomization intersecting, well, really motivated by at this point what's happening with no I don't think anybody could really at this point poke holes in the argument that at minimum an erosion of democratic principles and values at the federal level. So looking at that from the lens of hyper-local and community organizing and uh in your case, state senate, and um which by the way, early on the podcast, I think I said I it dawned on me, I said state I I know you're running for Senate, I know you're running against Senator Paolino. I think I flipped for some reason you into the House for a brief moment, but you are in fact running for Senate. But this this uh this is this is critical to build uh a groundswell uh uh backstop at the local level, perhaps in a way that has never been um in in the at least the modern history of this country more important. So but but then at the same time, the the question I have for you is in terms of the specifics of the job of representative and kind of your your um description of Senator Paolino and his uh you've painted him as a bit absentee, if you will. So from that standpoint, knowing the community on a on a practical basis, what's a piece of legislation that would benefit Lincoln, North Providence, um, or the uh the other component of the district immediately.

SPEAKER_00 20:40

So I think there would be some debate about if there was just one piece of legislation. So North Smithfield is the other municipality, and each of those areas are really quite different. Lincoln is the largest area within the district, and it is more um of a suburban working family um perspective with also a fair amount of new wealth that is there. Then in North Smithfield, that is technically a rural area, and it feels that way when you're there. Houses that you can't really see your neighbors from, a lot of beautiful green space, very long driveways, a lot of working farms. And then the little snippet of North Providence that um I have is much more diverse, and the houses are much closer to one another, and that feels the most urban.

Bill Bartholomew 21:38

Yeah, it's it's such a diverse, diverse district, no question.

SPEAKER_00 21:42

Yes. So I mean, I would, and as I've been at the doors, I've been hearing a lot of agreement around making it easier to find a primary care doctor and a mental health clinician and making that more affordable. I've heard consensus across the board for that. I wish we didn't have to legislate making that happen, but it seems like that is sometimes the most direct route to ensuring that things do occur. And so if there was a way to do that, I would be on board to move in that direction. I would also be on board to think about how we can approach housing more creatively because there are a number of individuals that I've spoken to where their children who are in their 20s and 30s are still living at home because housing is so difficult to find. So I believe I would get support around thinking about housing in a slightly different way. Those would be the two that I feel like from a priority perspective are um the most that I've been hearing about and that I've been feeling as well in the patients that I work with on a day-to-day basis.

Bill Bartholomew 22:53

All right, a couple of quick issues here uh as we uh we uh continue on this discussion. First time candidate, and that is an impressive thing in and of itself. I definitely commend you very specifically for doing that. Um so uh just a couple of quick uh one-word yes or no answers on on these, if you don't mind. Uh, would you support can uh the continued speakership of Chris Blaziewski?

SPEAKER_00 23:17

Yes.

Bill Bartholomew 23:18

Should we abolish ICE?

SPEAKER_00 23:21

Yes.

Bill Bartholomew 23:22

Do you have a candidate that you're sub that you're supporting or endorsing for governor?

SPEAKER_00 23:28

I am supporting the Democratic candidate for governor.

Bill Bartholomew 23:33

And lastly, on a local level, what's the mascot of Lincoln High School?

SPEAKER_00 23:39

So Lincoln High School's mascot is the Lincoln Lion. And I've had all my kids go through public school through Lincoln. I have one in high school, and that has been, it has been the Lions all the way through and through.

Bill Bartholomew 23:53

All right, awesome. All right, last question here. Wilbur Road. We've you you mentioned housing, and Wilbur Road is in an I'm gonna try to dig into this with a little bit more detail. Um we we've got a lot going on, obviously, here in the podcast election season. I really want to dig into this. The Valley Breeze has done excellent work on what is a proposed twenty eight unit housing development. It's on Wilbur Road in Lincoln. Uh it will not advance to the planning board until the developer addresses deficiencies that the town the town identified. This thing just seems like it's getting jammed up. There's a lot of confusion, it seems, in from an uh from a mezzanine level, looking at this. Your insights, your take on Wilbur Road, and how housing is actually going to happen when you have some municipalities that just don't seem 100% on board with affordable or otherwise housing opportunities.

SPEAKER_00 24:42

Yes. And so I know many individuals personally who live on Wilbur Road. I have been invited to speak to them as a group, which has not yet happened. So I'm saying this without the full inclusion of what the community thinks. So I want to just preface it with that. I think it's really important to hear that. What I, my understanding is, is that there are issues related to having enough water and resources to ensure that these units and the individuals they bring in are sustainable. Sustainable housing is very important. So it's not, in my understanding, an issue about bringing housing in. It's about where it's done and how it's done. And when there are so many other spaces that are sitting in disrepair, the idea of building on beautiful green space when there is already issues related to the water and other resources seems to me, and I think seems to the residents of the Wilbur Road community to not be the most sustainable route.

Bill Bartholomew 25:55

So not NIMBYism, it's more so about sustainability. And this is, by the way, this is going to be a debate that this this state is going to be confronting, it is already confronting it now. I mean, I'm I'm I'm thinking we might have to, if we're serious about the types of numbers we're going to achieve or want to achieve, bringing in modular, whatever the heck it may be. And as someone who grew up in the woods and is a conservationist at heart and all of that and would hate to see it, we're going to have to start building housing on Triggs golf course in Providence. We're going to have to start doing things that are extremely uncomfortable. But your assertion as a candidate is that your perspective is that this is not simply NIMBYism.

SPEAKER_00 26:29

Right.

Bill Bartholomew 26:31

Right. Awesome. Well, you know the district, which is is so so refreshing because you, again, your candidacy, and it's important. We identified this. Your candidacy for Senate. I know I was rambling earlier and mentioned House just for the millionth time. I just want to make sure everybody knows this as far as Senate 17. Um This is interesting because you're both bringing a an expertise and a perspective that again aligns, I think, with the average person, most people, and their outlook for what our society needs to be, how we get there is where the differential differentiation starts to happen. But you bring that expertise and that approach, but you also bring a specific desire to challenge the incumbent inside your district on district levels. And at least uh in terms of our conversation today, you seem to know the district and you live there and you've had kids in public school. So it's uh this is uh to me, this is a big race. I I mean, what I don't know why the Democrat Party wouldn't go all in on this. You know, it's you've got four Republicans, why wouldn't they want to make it three? And why wouldn't they want to put someone with a type of expertise in those two areas that we just discussed in the last 25 minutes inside the chamber? So I hope the party gets involved uh from the standpoint of just making it interesting. And even then, that puts pressure on Senator Paolino to then in turn respond, perhaps adjust his uh tactics as a as a senator, uh, but also make the campaign more interesting for the constituents who are ultimately being served.

SPEAKER_00 27:55

Well, those are good questions to ask. I don't have those answers either. I I can't speak for the party. I can only speak for myself. The race is already plenty interesting for me, and I'm I'm in it to win it.

Bill Bartholomew 28:09

Nellie, thanks so much for your time and uh really appreciate uh, you know, again, a first time candidate, not easy to do.

SPEAKER_00 28:17

Yes, thank you so much. I appreciate you as well.