State Rep. David Morales is projected by the Associated Press to defeat Providence Mayor Brett Smiley in Wednesday’s Democratic primary, notching a major victory for the progressive wing of the party.
Morales, a young state representative and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, frequently framed the race as a simple choice about housing: Smiley vetoed Providence’s first-ever rent stabilization ordinance — arguing it would slow much-needed construction of new housing — and Morales vowed to pass it.
On public safety, Morales has called for changes to the Providence police force, including prioritizing the recruitment of multilingual officers. He wants a stronger civilian review board. And he wants to get rid of Flock cameras.
Endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Providence mayor Jorge Elorza, the 27-year-old Morales sought to cast the incumbent Smiley as an ineffective representative of the political establishment.
On the campaign trail, Smiley said his policies paved the way for thousands of new homes in Providence, improved public safety and drove recorded incidents of violent crime to historic lows.
Smiley also led the city in the aftermath of a mass shooting at Brown University, offering daily updates on the public mourning process and the search for the shooter to an international audience.
But the incumbent faced scrutiny for implementing the city’s largest property tax increase in a decade and managing what many perceived as a slow cleanup after an historic snowfall last winter. He also faced frequent protests from opponents of Israel’s war in Gaza over his continued support for Israel despite the high civilian death toll.
From California to Providence
Raised in California’s Central Valley, Morales is the son of a single immigrant mother. As a teen, he says, he picked fruits and vegetables to help pay the bills. The family struggled for years to keep a roof over their heads before finally landing a spot, and some security, in public housing.
Morales came to Providence to attend graduate school at Brown University, where he earned a master’s degree in public affairs at age 20.
The next year, he became the youngest member of the Rhode Island legislature, defeating an incumbent in District 7 (Mount Pleasant, Valley and Elmhurst). Three terms later, he’s still the youngest legislator.
Outside of politics, Morales has also competed as a wrestler, performing as “The Commissioner.”
Morales, as the winner of Wednesday’s primary in the heavily Democratic city, is the overwhelming favorite to win the general election.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
