Democratic socialist state Rep. David Morales has defeated incumbent Providence Mayor Brett Smiley in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, according to projections from Decision Desk HQ and NBC News. Morales will now face Republican Dave Talan in November, but given Providence’s status as a longtime Democratic stronghold, Morales is widely considered the favorite to become the city’s next mayor.
Morales, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, framed his campaign around expanding the reach of city government. “I’m running for mayor because I believe government can do so much more to make our lives easier,” he said during a debate with Smiley, describing his goal of building a “Providence for all.”
Smiley, the incumbent, tried to cast his opponent as an outsider tied to a broader national movement rather than someone focused on city-level problems. He described Morales as “part of a national movement” who is “not interested in actually solving problems for Providence residents, which is what I’m focused on.” Morales responded by labeling Smiley part of the “status quo,” arguing that approach “is not working” for residents.
What Morales is promising
Morales’ platform centers on several priorities familiar to those tracking the broader democratic socialist movement: increased funding for public schools, new taxes on what his campaign calls “corporate polluters,” caps on rent increases, and investment in green energy initiatives tied to climate change concerns.
His platform also includes a pledge to shield illegal immigrants from federal immigration enforcement. According to his campaign materials, Morales will create a city task force, working with community organizations and neighborhood leaders, to track and publicize ICE activity in Providence. The stated goal is to give residents advance notice of immigration enforcement operations in their neighborhoods.
His campaign platform states: “Donald Trump has given ICE free rein to terrorize our neighborhoods through the enforcement of harsh immigration policies, the militarization of ICE agents, and the rollback of due process. As Mayor, David will protect all our immigrant neighbors by being openly transparent about ICE sightings in our city.” The platform further states that “this task force will work hand-in-hand with families, schools, and local businesses to make sure Providence is a community where our immigrant neighbors feel safe and supported.”
Part of a wider trend
Morales’ win adds to a string of recent primary victories by candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, following New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as well as Angie Nixon in Florida and Melat Kiros in Colorado.
Recent polling cited alongside the race found that a quarter of Americans view the Democratic Party as socialist overall, while more than half of Democrats say they hold a more favorable view of socialism than capitalism. The same polling found that 62 percent of Democrats say they would be willing to vote for a candidate who identifies as a “Democratic Socialist.”
