Morales Lands Two Major Endorsements Over Smiley

Morales Lands Two Major Endorsements Over Smiley

Providence Democratic mayoral candidate David Morales has scored two significant endorsements.

One of them is the original Providence East Side, liberal grand dame.

Before there was Edith Ajello or even Myrth York on Providence’s East Side, there was State Representative Linda Kushner.  Ajello is the long-serving State Representative, and York was a State Senator and three-time Democratic nominee for governor in the 1990s and early 2000s.

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Kushner was the original progressive voice.

A Democrat, Kushner was first elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 1983, representing the 4th district. The following year, she introduced a bill that would have banned discrimination against gays and lesbians, although it failed to pass the legislature. Later, she sponsored a gun control bill that would have banned "Saturday night specials" in 1989.

In 1994, she was the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate against Republican John H. Chafee. He beat Kushner 65% to 35%

Kushner said, “Ever so often, an extraordinary person appears on the political scene. I believe that David Morales is one of these people. David, who has represented the Mt. Pleasant district of Providence, in the RI General Assembly for three terms, is now running for Mayor of Providence.”

“David is the son of a single immigrant mother who worked in the fields of Soledad, California, to support him and his sister. David finished college at nineteen, got a master’s degree from Brown University in Public Affairs when he was 20, and was elected to the General Assembly at twenty-one. David does not waste time,” Kushner added.

Kushner added, “[He] is running because there are a number of major problems which are not being addressed by the current administration. Two of them are affordability and education. The dearth of affordable housing units in the city, along with the rapid and uncontrolled rise of rents, has made Providence the least affordable city in America for renters. This problem hurts not only the individuals who are struggling to find housing, it also weakens the strength and vibrancy of our city as a whole. And the failure to fully fund our schools and enable them to employ the ancillary staff, including social workers, teachers’ assistants, and librarians, is harming our children’s ability to learn and advance.”

 

Second Win for Morales

Morales also scored an endorsement from former Smith Hill State Representative Moira Walsh.

“As a former state representative, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many candidates and politicians over the years; but not many leaders. Since leaving office, I’ve been asked to endorse multiple candidates but I was always reluctant to offer my public support. I didn’t want to encourage voters to put their trust in a candidate only to have them come away feeling bitter and jaded when that person was elected and sold them out later; an experience I was all too familiar with,” said Walsh.

Walsh added, “That is why I do not make recommendations lightly. David Morales is the first candidate since my time in office who has earned my confidence and belief. I believe in David’s integrity, his commitment to the public and his ability to follow through on his promises. I believe that when David tells me that he cares about me, my neighbors and our children that he means it and will work as hard as he can to help us to build communities and institutions that reflect that same care.”

"I am supporting David Morales not because he’s a politician, but because he’s a leader. He is someone who listens to his constituents, who builds consensus in his community, and who helps to bring politics back to the people. I strongly believe that this type of leadership is exactly what our city needs. I have never been more confident that this is an endorsement I won’t regret and I am proud to offer my support. Providence deserves a mayor like David Morales, and it’s up to us to make it happen," said Walsh.

 

Morales Says

Morales said about the endorsements, “Rep. Linda Kushner’s tenure in the General Assembly was marked by her fierce advocacy for abortion rights and our LGBTQIA+ neighbors at a time when Rhode Island Democrats were not yet unified behind those issues. 

"Rep. Moira Walsh assumed immense political risk to demand better of her colleagues in the General Assembly. A fighter for working people, Rep. Walsh understands that our neighbors deserve leaders who will take the job of public service seriously and remain accountable to the constituents who elected them to serve. Linda and Moira are remarkable leaders who have never been afraid to challenge power, and I am honored to have their endorsements,” added Morales is challenging sitting Mayor Brett Smiley in the Democratic primary.