November 4, 2026
State Rep. David Morales, shown celebrating his victory in the Democratic primary on Sept. 9, 2026, will be the next mayor of Providence. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
David Morales will be the next mayor of Providence after defeating his Republican challenger in Tuesday’s general election.
Morales received 81% of the vote to Talan’s 17%, according to unofficial results from the Rhode Island Board of Elections as of 8:34 p.m. The Associated Press called the race two minutes earlier.
Morales’ victory over Republican Dave Talan furthers the political shift which began with the 28-year-old Democratic candidate’s victory over incumbent Mayor Brett Smiley in September’s primary.
Morales, a democratic socialist who was first elected as a state Representative in 2020, defeated Smiley by a 57%-43% margin in September. Morales’ platform emphasized a more progressive direction for city government, especially for housing affordability. A major point of Morales’ campaign was his support for a rent stabilization measure which Smiley vetoed earlier this year.
Morales is scheduled to announce the co-chairs of his mayoral transition team at a press conference Wednesday at 2 p.m.
Talan, 77, a retired computer systems analyst and engineer, opposed rent stabilization and argued the city’s housing issues could be better soothed through more housing stock.
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Courtesy of Rhode Island Current
