David Morales
Pro-Palestine candidate beats pro-'Israel' rival in Rhode Island primary
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- David Morales, 27, a democratic socialist state representative, beat incumbent Mayor Brett Smiley.
- Morales is now favored to win November's general election against Republican Dave Talan.
Rhode Island State Representative David Morales, a 27-year-old democratic socialist and vocal supporter of Palestinian rights, scored a decisive upset victory over incumbent Providence Mayor Brett Smiley in Wednesday's Democratic primary, positioning him to become the youngest mayor in the city's history.
Smiley, 47, became the first incumbent mayor in Providence's history to lose a primary election.
Morales celebrated with a large crowd of supporters at a victory party in Olneyville, telling the crowd "Together, we have made history."
In his victory speech, he pledged to cap rent increases, improve public schools, and vowed to use every tool available to defend the city's immigrant community from immigration enforcement.
From the outset, Morales' campaign drew comparisons to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, comparisons he embraced.
Morales relied heavily on social media to reach voters, while Smiley's campaign focused on television advertising. The Morales campaign had also been encouraged in the campaign's final days by a strong showing of newer and younger voters casting early primary ballots.
Turnout was notably high: Morales brought in more than 14,000 votes to Smiley's roughly 12,600 as of the morning after the election.
Morales will face Republican Dave Talan in the November general election. Given Providence's heavily Democratic electorate, he is considered the overwhelming favorite to win and assume office as mayor of Rhode Island's capital city.
Morales’ Palestine activism
As in numerous races nationwide over the past year, Palestine became a significant issue in the Providence contest.
Morales has been an outspoken critic of ‘Israeli’ policy and a longtime presence in the Palestinian rights movement, and he criticized Smiley over the mayor's advisory role with a pro-’Israel’ advocacy organization.
Morales has also endorsed a forthcoming Providence ballot measure to divest city investments tied to ‘Israel’ and other nations accused of committing genocide, a proposal advocacy groups have described as a potentially first-of-its-kind binding municipal divestment vote in the US.
