Miami
David Morales defeats Brett Smiley in Providence Democratic mayoral primary
The Rhode Island state representative, backed by Bernie Sanders, beat the incumbent mayor in the Democratic primary. NBC News said the race focused on housing costs, affordability and public safety.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley lost Tuesday’s Democratic primary for reelection, according to an NBC News projection. The winner was Rhode Island state Rep. David Morales, described by the outlet as a democratic socialist endorsed by Bernie Sanders.
Morales built his campaign around proposals to cap rent increases, expand affordable housing and raise taxes on polluters and corporate landlords. He also argued that the current administration was not meeting present-day challenges and presented his candidacy as a push for a city that works better for its residents.
NBC News reported that Morales also had the backing of former Mayor Jorge Elorza, whose administration had included Smiley. The incumbent was seeking a second term after winning the office in 2022.
During the campaign, Smiley defended his record by pointing to the expansion of a universal pre-K program and other city accomplishments, while also highlighting his clashes with President Donald Trump on issues such as immigration. He also attacked Morales as part of a national movement and cited his past support for reallocating police funding in an effort to portray him as weak on crime.
Morales rejected that characterization and said, in remarks cited by NBC News, that he would not defund the police. NBC News framed the Providence outcome as part of a broader run of victories by progressives aligned with the democratic socialist movement at multiple levels of government in the United States.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
