Providence Mayor Brett Smiley loses primary to David Morales in the US
In Providence, Rhode Island, US, incumbent Mayor Brett Smiley lost the Democratic Party primary to state Senator David Morales. According to the Jerusalem Post, after 99% of ballots were counted, Morales received 52.5% of the vote and Smiley 47.5%.
Support from progressive politicians
Morales describes himself as a democratic socialist. He was endorsed by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and California US House Representative Ro Khanna. Smiley supports Israel; in 2024, while already serving as mayor, he converted to Judaism.
During the campaign, flyers supporting Smiley were defaced with added Hitler mustaches and devil horns. Morales condemned these actions.
Vote on divestment
In November, Providence is due to hold a vote on a binding divestment initiative. Israel is not directly mentioned in its text, but the initiative could prevent the city from investing in companies linked to Israel. Providence is set to become the largest US city to hold such a vote.
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Morales supports the initiative, while Smiley, local Jewish groups and pro-Israel groups oppose it. In a comment to Jewish Insider, the mayor said that the proposed provision is impossible to implement and likely conflicts with current state law.
During the campaign, Morales also criticized Smiley's participation in a mayors' summit organized by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, where Smiley holds a leadership position. Morales accused the organization of suppressing pro-Palestinian speech and lacking transparency in its funding.
Rhode Island-Israel Collaborative, which promotes business ties between the state and Israel, opposes both the initiative and Morales.
