Reporter for Boston Globe Rhode Island covering education, politics and the city of Providence. Email me: Steph.Machado@globe.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mvs5iw7wic2dNEW: Mayor Smiley says he's not endorsing David Morales, the Democratic nominee for mayor of Providence, in the November election His reflections on the election loss and what happens next ⬇️ https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/18/metro/ri-providence-mayor-smiley/ https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/18/metro/ri-providence-mayor-smiley/?et_rid=47832982&s_campaign=rhodemap:newsletter18 Sep 2026 12:16 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvs5iw7wic2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mvqof5spic2qFull house for our latest Rhode Map Live event, with a timely panel about artificial intelligence about to be moderated by Dan McGowan17 Sep 2026 22:13 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvqof5spic2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mvanfnmets23Some council president intrigue for your Friday morning Jill Davidson, Miguel Sanchez and Shelley Peterson have formed an alliance in leadership discussions. Not yet clear which one of them might come forward as the president candidate https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/11/metro/ri-mayor-morales-providence-rent-control/?s_campaign=8315:varf11 Sep 2026 13:12 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvanfnmets23https://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mvamwblfy22iWow — 28 mail ballots were added to the tally for Ward 9, but it’s still a 2-vote race between incumbent Juan Pichardo and Carmen Castillo. This is likely to go to a recount on Monday11 Sep 2026 13:04 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvamwblfy22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mvalgtewdc2iNEW: Rent control is back from the dead in Providence. After Wednesday's primary, the City Council is projected to have majority support in 2027 for capping rent increases, and a mayor who will sign it https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/11/metro/ri-mayor-morales-providence-rent-control/11 Sep 2026 12:37 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvalgtewdc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mv6sxemjqs2iWATCH: In between gallons of coffee, Dan McGowan and I chat about what happened in Providence last night https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPCQP1kwMPo10 Sep 2026 19:46 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv6sxemjqs2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mv6oql6js22iKeith Hoffmann didn’t call Kim Ahern to concede the AG’s race, per her campaign. He declined to comment when I asked him why this afternoon Knight and Solomon both called to concede last night10 Sep 2026 18:31 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv6oql6js22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mv6jfe7uo22iThe Board of Elections says Carmen Castillo has requested a recount in Ward 9, where she is currently down by 2 votes to incumbent Juan Pichardo Pichardo was a lead sponsor of the rent stabilization ordinance, and Castillo is a previously term-limited councilor from the ward10 Sep 2026 16:55 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv6jfe7uo22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mv6fhhatms2iMAP: How David Morales won Providence He dominated in the West End as expected, but also made inroads on the East Side; only 45 votes separate Smiley and Morales right now on the East Side (with some mail ballots still to be counted) Interactive maps here: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/10/metro/rhode-island-primary-analysis-foulkes-morales-providence/?s_campaign=8315:varf10 Sep 2026 15:45 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv6fhhatms2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mv4tmcv5ws2lMayor Smiley has called David Morales to concede the race for mayor, according to the Morales campaign10 Sep 2026 00:53 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv4tmcv5ws2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mv4th4ynuk2lDavid Morales has won the Democratic primary for mayor of Providence, unseating Mayor Brett Smiley, the AP projects. Huge chants of “David, David” at his watch party as the race is called https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/09/metro/ri-primary-providence-mayor-morales/10 Sep 2026 00:50 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv4th4ynuk2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mv4b75dpo22gSome Providence polling places opened late this morning; here’s the explanation from the city Board of Canvassers09 Sep 2026 19:23 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv4b75dpo22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mv3udn5tws27Happy RI primary day! Turnout as of 11am (including early and mail votes returned so far) is already more than half the total 2022 primary turnout. Polls are open until 8 p.m. @globeri.bsky.social will have full coverage of the results tonight at Globe.com/RI09 Sep 2026 15:33 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv3udn5tws27https://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mupbmsoy3k2eProvidence's high-stakes mayoral contest is one of the closest-watched in next week's Rhode Island primary With no independent polling heading into Labor Day weekend, it's hard to say who is ahead, but both campaigns see it as a close race My latest: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/04/metro/ri-mayor-smiley-morales-primary-race-socialism/04 Sep 2026 15:26 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mupbmsoy3k2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mucolcylgk25NEW: Is Kim Ahern, the state's first cannabis commission chair and a leading candidate for AG, to blame for Rhode Island's slow legal cannabis rollout? I dug into the facts, the campaign attacks and sat down with Ahern for her explanation: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/08/30/metro/rhode-island-cannabis-attorney-general/30 Aug 2026 15:13 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mucolcylgk25https://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mu5vnmllu22lThe review of Brown's handling of the shooting found serious issues with the leadership of the campus police, along with problems accessing surveillance video that was needed with the investigation. It also criticized Brown for not sounding its siren during the lockdown Read more in the story [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Aug 2026 17:37 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu5vnmllu22lhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephmachado.bsky.social/post/3mu5upa6hsk2lNEW: Brown University's external review of last year's mass shooting found a series of missteps, including video access issues and "gaps in leadership" at the campus police department that slowed down the investigation w/ @chrisgavin.bsky.social https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/08/28/metro/brown-university-shooting-external-report-findings/28 Aug 2026 17:20 +0000at://did:plc:bp6cj7ogkfponftyk22ina7w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu5upa6hsk2l