Key facts
- David Morales won the Democratic primary for mayor of Providence, Rhode Island.
- Morales has pledged to sign rent stabilization into law within his first 30 days as mayor.
- Incumbent Mayor Brett Smiley had previously vetoed a rent stabilization ordinance.
- Morales's campaign focused on affordability issues.
- Morales is endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders.
- Morales is likely to become the youngest mayor in Providence's history.
Providence, Rhode Island, is poised to revisit rent stabilization efforts following the Democratic mayoral primary, where state Rep. David Morales, a proponent of the policy, defeated incumbent Mayor Brett Smiley. Morales has pledged to enact rent stabilization within his first 30 days in office. The City Council had previously passed a rent stabilization ordinance, but it was vetoed by Smiley in May, with the override failing by a single vote. Morales's victory is seen as highly probable, given that a Republican has not won the mayoralty since 1982. Morales, a self-described Democratic Socialist, is endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders and modeled his campaign on that of New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, focusing on affordability issues and using social media. His win is part of a broader trend of progressive candidates winning Democratic nominations, with groups like Jewish Voice for Peace noting his consistent calls for an end to US support for Israel and his endorsement of a ballot initiative to divest city investments from Israel and other countries. Morales will face Republican David Talan in the upcoming midterm elections.