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1. STORY OF THE WEEK
A spectre is haunting Providence – the spectre of Democratic socialism.
Maybe capping rents is “a unicorn issue,” as described by Ben Shanahan, David Morales’ campaign manager. Maybe rent stabilization will provide a little relief to struggling renters, or maybe it won’t do much in the larger context of Rhode Island’s housing crisis. Regardless, this was the issue that fueled Morales’ insurgent victory in the primary — and there’s more than a bit of free-floating anxiety about the leftward swing of politics in the state. It’s not limited just to those on the centrist/conservative spectrum. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley told the ProJo that he’s not warmly accepting the DSA into the Democratic Party since “their views are in strong opposition to my views as a Democrat.” And it’s unclear if the Providence Police Department will be hit by a wave of retirements, although Morales has downplayed such concerns. OTOH, Joseph R. Paolino Jr., for now still the youngest person to serve as mayor of Providence, said on his ABC6 Sunday show last week that he recently met with Morales, really likes him a lot and is less concerned about his approach to governance. As they say, the proof will be in the pudding.
But if Morales’ victory over Smiley, the first-ever defeat of a Providence mayor in a primary, came as a surprise for some, it shouldn’t have. The Rhode Island House of Representatives has been trending in a more progressive direction for the last 10 years – possibly the best barometer of this change in local politics. A TGIF analysis of how the House traveled from 2015-2016 to 2025-2026 reveals the following: At least 41 seats turned over during that period, with progressive pickups – 10 by women – representing at least 15 seats, give or take, depending on how you view the politics of some Democrats. Morales himself was part of this trend, as he defeated the representative previously dispatched with support from then-Speaker Nicholas Mattiello to oust progressive Rep. Maria Cimini.
Of these 41 seats, there was one more seat that went from R to D than D to R. Here are the most notable changes in a progressive direction over the 10-year period since 2015-2016:
** From Ray Gallison to Rep. Susan Donovan (D-Bristol), first elected in 2016.
** From Jan Malik to Rep, Jason Knight (D-Barrington), first elected in 2016.
** From David Coughlin Jr. to Rep. Karen Alzate (D-Pawtucket), first elected in 2018.
** From Anthony Giarrusso (R) to Rep. Justine Caldwell (D-East Greenwich), first elected in 2018
** From Ken Marshall to Rep. June Speakman (D-Warren), first elected in 2019.
** From Raymond Johnston Jr. to Rep. Leonela Felix (D-Pawtucket), first elected in 2020.
** From Dan McKiernan to Rep. David Morales (D-Providence), first elected in 2020.
** From Robert Lancia (R) to Rep. Brandon Potter (D-Cranston), first elected in 2020.
** From Justin Price (R) to Rep. Megan Cotter (D-Exeter), first elected in 2022.
** From Anastasia Williams to Rep. Enrique Sanchez (D-Providence), first elected in 2022.
** From Blake Filippi (R) to Rep. Tina Spears (D-Charlestown), first elected in 2022.
** From Helio Melo to Rep, Jenni Furtado (D-East Providence), first elected in 2024.
The incumbents supplanted by progressives over time include a Democratic Finance Committee chairman convicted of fraud (Gallison) and four Republicans, two of whom endorsed voting conspiracy theories (Price, who marched on Jan. 6, and Lancia). These changes have fostered a more policy-driven House, with more women, fewer go-along-to-get-along Democrats and greater support for new restrictions on guns. The growth of the state budget continues unabated. An early harbinger of the progressive trend was the grassroots-fueled legalization of same-sex marriage in 2013 – a year after House Speaker Gordon Fox, a putative liberal, wouldn’t bring such a bill to the floor.
Back in the present, the ascent of House Speaker Chris Blazejewski earlier this year was accompanied by descriptions of how he’s the most liberal speaker in years. After years on Smith Hill, Blazejewski is a canny pol, and he quickly moved to make a splash by backing creation of an inspector general. Regardless, some observers remain on edge about the joint force of progressive leadership at the Statehouse and at Providence City Hall. Here’s the gauntlet: The center of gravity has moved somewhat to the left in the House, but any legislative leader has to balance the wide-ranging views of his membership to maintain support. At the same time, Morales’ victory and the defeat of Providence Ward 1 Councilor John Goncalves raise the prospect of a possible future primary challenge to Blazejewski if he is viewed as insufficiently progressive.
2. DEMOCRATIC UNITY?
It’s unclear for now if Gov. Dan McKee and Providence Mayor Brett Smiley will be in attendance when the Rhode Island Democratic Party stages a “Forward Together: The ‘Rhode’ to Nov. 3rd” on the evening of Oct. 6 at 100 Westminster St., Providence. The title for the event was previously changed from “Unity Reception.” Democratic Party Chair Liz Beretta-Perik said all Democrats are welcome for the get-together, even if the suggested contribution ($150 to $2,500) is out of reach, adding, “it’s really about everyone getting together.” Beretta-Perik said she was unsure if McKee and Smiley would be in attendance. Spokespeople for the governor and mayor were also unsure. Unity events are always a bit awkward, as you can see from this photo from 2014, when Angel Taveras and Clay Pell joined Gina Raimondo and U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse at a Cranston vocational school. And then there was the time in 2010 when top Democrats stayed away as Bill Clinton stumped for Frank Caprio in Providence after Caprio told President Obama “to shove it.”
3. LOCAL MOTION
Among the challenges facing the next governor: delivering on the premise that offering robust public transit shouldn’t be such a big lift in a small state like Rhode Island. To hear RIPTA CEO Christopher Durand tell it, the agency has regained stability after the fiscal challenges of recent years. “I think we're finally able to start thinking more long-term and thinking about tomorrow and being more proactive around what we're doing and why and prioritizing making the system better,” Durand said during a wide-ranging interview on One on One this week. While restoring last year’s cuts appears unlikely in the short-term, a new governor could spell more support for public transit. Durand and I also talked about the pros and cons of a planned new bus hub near the train station, the growth of RIDOT’s budget and other transit-related issues.
4. FOULKES FUNDING
According to the state Board of Elections, Helena Foulkes’ campaign is paying back $11,645 to contributors who gave above the legal limit for her campaigns for governor in 2022 and 2026. In a statement, the BOE said: “During a typical election year, our campaign finance system tracks over $15 million in campaign contributions, representing over 46,000 contribution records reported by over 1,400 candidates, political action committees, and political party committees. While instances of donors going over campaign contribution limits are rare, Board of Elections campaign finance staff conduct twice per year audits to identify overages. Once these are identified, we immediately communicate with campaign committees to give them the opportunity to cure instances of donors exceeding contribution limits.” In a brief statement, Foulkes spokeswoman Angelika Pellegrino called the matter resolved.
Asked to offer some context on this, John Marion of Common Cause Rhode Island, noted a Globe report showing how no candidate has taken more advantage of upping the maximum annual per-person, per candidate contribution than Foulkes. “Any time a donor exceeds the legal limits, or a candidate accepts donations in excess of the legal limits it’s serious,” Marion said via email. “Donation limits exist to prevent money from corrupting candidates and excessive donations buy more influence. While the total amount of money that exceeded the limits is small relative to what Foulkes has raised, this is the first gubernatorial election to take place under the new $2,000 annual limit.”
5. SURVEY SAYS
A new poll from the UNH Survey Center reinforces the view that the race for lieutenant governor between incumbent Democrat Sabina Matos and Republican John Loughlin is a key battle to watch in the November election. It shows Matos with a four-point lead, 48% to 44%, with 7% of voters undecided. This snapshot can be seen in a positive light by each side. Matos is close to getting half the vote and it’s not a stretch to think that a group like the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association will offer some help down the stretch. But Loughlin is within striking distance. Rhode Islanders haven’t elected a Republican statewide since 2006, but can Loughlin convince voters to elect at least one representative of the GOP as a check on the overwhelming majority of Democrats in state government? Or does the party association with President Trump, whose approval rating is on the slide amid high gas prices, drag him down?
In the race for governor, UNH shows Democrat Helena Foulkes with 44% of the vote, independent Ken Block with 25%, Republican Aaron Guckian with 17%, two lesser-known independents with 2% each and 10% undecided.
6. PAWTUCKET
Adam Greenman, who doesn’t face any opponents in the November election, is poised to be the next mayor of Pawtucket. He scored one of the noteworthy victories during the primary, defeating longtime Mayor Don Grebien by 10 points. Greenman and Grebien sat down Wednesday at the Pawtucket Country Club for their first post-election meeting. Greenman, 44, said they had a productive conversation. One issue he’s still learning about is Pawtucket’s soccer stadium. The venue is an attraction for the city, but the cost is extravagant ($132 million over 30 years) and there have been revelations about secret investors. During a radio interview set to air next week, Greenman told me he’s still working to wrap his head around the bond payments and tax revenue for the stadium. “It’s going to be my job starting Jan. 4 to make sure that that project is successful,” he said. “I can quibble as a resident and as a candidate and as a taxpayer with the structure of the deal. But ultimately as mayor I’m going to have to work to implement it, so I’m doing everything I can to get all the data and all the information so we can make good decisions about how we move forward.”
7. IMMIGRATION
Dozens were arrested in ICE raids in New Bedford and Fall River this week. As my colleague Ben Berke reports, Mayor Jon Mitchell said the detainees’ family, friends and employers have been left in the dark about the arrests. He said ICE never notified New Bedford’s police department about its operations either, which he said puts officers at risk. “This is not the way the system should work,” said Mitchell, who previously served as a federal criminal prosecutor. An ICE spokesman declined to share details about what happened or who was detained. In a statement, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said, “ICE needs to provide information immediately. Who have they arrested and why? Our administration will continue to provide support to the community and families, but ICE needs to answer for their actions.”
8. REMEMBERING RUDY CHEEKS
Born Bruce McCrae, Rudy was a mainstay of Rhode Island’s art, culture and journalism scene for many years. He died last weekend at age 76. He was half of Phillipe & Jorge’s Cool, Cool World, the long-running column most closely associated with the Providence Phoenix (where I edited his work with the late Chip Young). Rudy was also a musician and an iconoclast around Rhode Island’s capital city. You can read my obituary/appreciation of Rudy here. After writing it, I kept remembering other things: how he didn’t drive (for reasons I don’t remember), how there’s a S.J. Perelman book in my collection because of his recommendation. You should also read tributes by Xander Morro, Mark Pantinkin and Michael Bilow.
9. MEDIA
Remember the time when a young ProJo reporter faced some scorn from a member of the Narragansett Lions when he was poised to reveal the all-male membership of the group? An offended member of the organization visited the Journal’s bygone Wakefield bureau to suggest that the young man might lose his job and the paper some ad revenue. What the resident didn’t know was that the young reporter was part of a publishing dynasty that had dealt with attempts to suppress information in cases from the Bay of Pigs to the Pentagon Papers. I wrote about this in my 2006 Providence Phoenix profile of Arthur Gregg Sulzberger, noting how he was destined to one day become publisher of the New York Times. That happened in 2018. I shared this anecdote this week as a guest speaker for the annual meeting of the Warwick Neck Improvement Association. And I quoted from Sulzberger’s recent essay marking the 175th anniversary of the Times: “The current period of democratic erosion around the world offers a clear warning that when a free press is undermined, other freedoms will soon fall as well. If this sounds overstated, I challenge anyone to find a country where people are free but the press isn’t.”
10. ON THE MOVE
With Gov. McKee’s administration winding down, state comms veteran Laura Hart is one of the first to depart. She is set to join the Community College of Rhode Island, effective Oct. 5, as director of marketing and communications. Hart previously worked at CCRI from 2001 to 2006.
11. KICKER
When Gina Raimondo endorsed Mike Bloomberg’s 2020 presidential run during a Providence event, it seemed like the latest installment in their mutual appreciation society. Bloomberg gained attention by spending $102 million – about $174 per vote – to win his third term as mayor of New York in 2009. A new documentary film from PBS casts Bloomberg in a different light – as a far-sighted public servant who played a crucial role in shepherding New York through the Great Recession and other challenges.
