It is hard to remember a more competitive and expensive Providence City Council race than this Democratic primary to represent the Second Ward.
As this seat is now vacant, this is a short-term assignment.
The winner will have a Republican opponent in the General Election, and then that winner will only serve for less than a year. He or she will face a second election in November of 2026 for a four-year term.
This primary vote is Tuesday, and the four Democrats in alphabetical order are David Caldwell, Jill Davidson, Jeff Levy, and Matthew McDermott. GoLocal interviewed each of the candidates and asked each the same questions. You can see the interviews at the bottom of this article.
The candidates have bombarded voters with dozens of mailers and text messages.
The Second Ward is the most affluent in the City of Providence, and nearly every home is valued at more than $1 million. It encompasses the Blackstone Boulevard area, Wayland Square, and a significant portion of College Hill.
There are disputes between the candidates. Levy says Davidson is supported by Providence City Council President Rachel Miller. Davidson, she has not endorsed Miller, and Miller has not endorsed her.
And there is a question about accepting campaign donations from developers. Davidson said in the College Hill Neighborhood Association meeting that she would not take campaign donations from “student developers.” There is no definition for “student developer,” and Davidson has taken donations from Arnold “Buff” Chace, one of the city’s biggest developers. The City Council is presently suing Chace over a major tax issue.
When asked about the issue, she said in part, “CHNA, and many neighbors on the East Side, have concerns with a specific set of developers whose actions they have found problematic re: the quality of life in our neighborhood.”
The other issue that showed a major difference was rent control (or stabilization). Levy and Caldwell are against the idea. Davidson is for it and McDermott wants to see the City Council’s proposal and has concerns.
The last was schools. No one talked more about schools and the need to improve education than McDermott. Davidson also discussed her role in Nathan Bishop School. Caldwell and Levy said little about Providence Schools.
According to campaign finance filings, the four candidates report pouring tens of thousands into the race.
Cumulatively, the four have raised or lent to their own campaigns in total: $130,000
