I have always held a special place in my heart for local politics. Often not as partisan and certainly not as flashy as leaders in Washington, D.C., local politicians fulfill the true core of democratic government — public service. City government, at its best, ensures your neighborhoods stay clean, your kids receive a strong education and your city infrastructure remains in good health. While not glamorous, these services are vital to the success of our cities. Yet, very few eligible voters actually elect their local government officials. In previous Providence City Council elections for College Hill’s district — Ward 2 — voter turnout was about 50%. Brown students make up a considerable portion of potential voters and should consider contributing to the political success of their new home in the upcoming primary for the City Council’s Ward 2 special election on Nov. 4 and the subsequent special election on Dec. 2.
If you do choose to vote in the election, you must decide between four Democrats — David Caldwell, Jill Davidson, Jeff Levy and Mathew McDermott — and one Republican — Axel Brito ’26. While many of the candidates share similarities in their proposed policies, one stands out as the most practical and experienced: David Caldwell.
Most of the candidates hold similar views on key issues. They all wish to see improvements in local public schools and support regaining local control from the state government over the Providence Public School District. Most candidates have also expressed concern over neighborhood safety, out-of-shape infrastructure and the threat that President Trump poses to Providence.
But perhaps the most important topic of debate, and the one in which the candidates most differ, is housing affordability. Earlier this year, Providence was ranked dead last in all of America for rent affordability. As many Brunonians can attest, finding off-campus housing is a nightmare as the market has become more expensive and competitive, while property taxes have shot up. When asked if they would support using rent control to tackle this issue, most of the candidates deflected the question without taking a definitive stance.
The only candidates to offer a clear position on rent control were Caldwell and Brito. Caldwell does not support rent control, explaining that it “may lower the cost for some tenants in rent-controlled units, but it also decreases housing construction and raises costs in housing not covered by rent control.” On the other hand, Brito, the only Republican candidate, shockingly favors rent control — a policy famously linked to progressive voices like Zohran Mamdani and Sen. Bernie Sanders. Despite their appeal, rent freezes have been shown to decrease long-term affordability, harm surrounding neighborhoods and lower new housing construction. The practice has even been correlated to a rise in gentrification. There’s a reason economists on both sides of the aisle are wary of rent control.
The only candidate I advise against voting for is Brito. As a 21-year-old Brown student, Brito lacks the experience necessary to adequately address the needs of Providence constituents. Beyond his age, his campaign is lackluster. He is the only candidate without a campaign website and is running as a Republican in a district that has elected Democratic council members for the last 39 years. Brito also supports Providence asking Brown for more funding after the University has pledged to pay $175 million to the city over the next 20 years. At a time when our funding is being challenged by the federal government, Brito wants to request even more from his school.
Otherwise, the remaining candidates are equipped to tackle voters’ concerns. That being said, each one has their own background that should be considered. McDermott works in political organizing, Levy is an attorney who worked to protect the integrity of our elections and Davidson has spent much of her career advocating for improvements in Providence’s schools. Their past professional experiences would certainly prepare each of them to lead as council members, but another candidate’s resume stands out for being particularly positioned to tackle Providence’s affordability crisis.
For the last two years, Caldwell has served on the Providence City Plan Commission, working on urban development and growth for the city. In this position, he helped to draft the latest version of the Providence Comprehensive Plan, which outlines important steps to create more affordable housing. Further, he is the vice-chair of HousingWorksRI’s advisory board — Roger Williams University’s policy organization on housing affordability. He also has a lifetime of experience building homes through his family-owned business, Caldwell & Johnson Custom Builders. Brunonians concerned about the threat of climate change will also be excited to learn that Caldwell is the current president of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, the oldest environmental organization in the state.
Regardless of who you support, I ask those who are eligible to vote to fulfill your civic duty — show up to the polls on election day. If you care about Providence, do the bare minimum and contribute to the future of this great city.
Ethan Canfield ’28 can be reached at ethan_canfield@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
