28-Year-Old Democratic Socialist Morales Wins Providence Mayoral Race

David Morales, a 28-year-old Democratic socialist and state representative, won Providence’s mayoral race, defeating Republican Dave Talan with about 81% of the vote. Morales will be the city’s youngest-ever mayor, following his upset of incumbent Brett Smiley in the Democratic primary. His campaign emphasized affordability and rent stabilization, which he has pledged to pursue early in his term. Talan opposed rent stabilization and argued that increasing the housing supply would better address the city’s housing challenges; he also campaigned on restructuring the public school district to ease residents’ tax burden. Morales’s victory signals a generational and ideological shift in Providence city government.