The insurgent socialist movement notched another primary victory Wednesday in a blue state capital, extending the far-Left’s streak of socialist candidates upending the Democratic establishment.
David Morales, 27, defeated Providence Democratic Mayor Brett Smiley in Wednesday’s primary, according to Decision Desk HQ.
The Democratic state lawmaker, who was endorsed by socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), ousted the incumbent mayor by less than 2,000 votes. Morales aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, but the group’s local chapter did not endorse his candidacy, according to The Washington Post.
His primary victory all but assures he will be Providence’s next mayor in a deep blue city that overwhelmingly voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.
“Nearly a year ago, to this day, we launched a campaign centered around a simple vision… and while many agreed with the vision, few believed that a 27-year-old democratic socialist could ever… take on big money, corporate real estate interests, and endless attack ads. And we took them on, and we won,” he told a cheering crowd of supporters.
On the campaign trail, Morales vowed to cap rent hikes at 4%, tax what he called “corporate polluters,” fight Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and staff schools with “multilingual educators.”
“David Morales is the child of a single immigrant mom and a lifelong renter who spent his teenage years picking fruits and vegetables,” his campaign website reads.
Leading up to the election, Morales reportedly hosted a fundraiser called “Lesbians4David,” which included a “kissing booth” and promoted “specialty cocktails” for “butches” and “femmes.”
“Congratulations to David Morales on winning the Democratic primary for Providence Mayor. In November we’ll have elected Democratic Socialist mayors in NYC, Seattle, D.C. and Providence,” Sanders said on X. “From coast to coast, Americans are clear: No more status quo politics. We want real change.”
Since President Donald Trump’s re-election, the Democratic establishment has watched its leftist wing barnstorm the country, racking up one victory after another. Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s upset in New York City’s mayoral primary kicked off the movement’s breakthrough, followed by three Democratic Socialists of America-backed leftists ousting sitting Democratic representatives. The socialist-aligned Left also steamrolled its way through Washington, D.C., and Denver before Abdul El-Sayed, another leftist backed by members of the Democratic Socialists of America, won the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan.
With more of America’s cities falling into the hands of socialist leaders, socialist organizers have set their sights on their next target: Los Angeles. Leftist City Councilwoman Nithya Raman is challenging incumbent Mayor Karen Bass after mounting a stronger-than-expected showing in the contentious primary that ultimately knocked Spencer Pratt out of the race following days of late-arriving mail-in ballots.
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