News
Moving Forward
September 16, 2026
Friends,
I’ve taken a few days to rest, and I wanted to share a few reflections on this primary election and on the road I see ahead.
Collaboration Wins
Many people are asking me how I won. I want to emphasize that a team of volunteers and neighbors won. We won. No candidate wins alone, and often it is the most collaborative coalition that leads to victory.
As our incredible field manager, Alex Nunnelly, told the PVD Eye this week, “We would canvass one, two, three, four times a week, plus one or two phone banks a week. We were going up against an unprecedented amount of money, but we had an unprecedented amount of volunteers.”
So much work went into this campaign by so many people, and I believe that’s the best and strongest form of democracy.
I want to be clear that this was a very close race, and I want to acknowledge that many people in Ward 1 voted for my opponent. While John and I have differences, we worked together at City Hall for years and know one another well. I want to thank him publicly, as I have privately, for his service to our ward and our city. I know he will remain an active voice for our community, and I look forward to working with him, and getting his advice on community concerns. Thank you, John.
Primary Voting Data
Because I am serious about transparency, I want to share the data from the primary. The results of all races are available publicly at the RI Board of Elections web site.
Votes by Precinct and Method: Ward 1 City Council Primary, September 2026
source: RI Board of Elections filing data as of September 11, 2026 ricampaignfinance.com
Now the Work Begins
It is one thing to campaign successfully, and it is an entirely different thing to govern successfully. That work begins now.
I am already building relationships with new councilors, and meeting with city and council colleagues with whom I’ve worked for years.
In January I will host a Ward 1 community meeting so we can talk about the issues facing our neighborhoods and set priorities for this term together. I am committed to housing affordability, honest fiscal stewardship, supporting our schools, and making sure City Hall delivers the basic services this ward deserves. These are the issues I campaigned on, and they will guide the decisions I make. I am committed to being a very present and visible councilor. I will build regular routines and clear channels for residents to reach me, and you will see me in our neighborhoods, at community meetings, walking the streets, and showing up wherever the work of representing Ward 1 takes me.
I believe that our elected officials should serve the people. I work for you. That doesn’t mean we will always agree or we will always succeed, but it does mean that you can hold me accountable for transparency and fairness.
We Need You to Participate
I’ve worked in City Hall, and it can be a confusing and intimidating place. But I pledge to work with my council colleagues to make our work as open as possible. That also means inviting you to participate – attend committee meetings on issues you care about, come to council meetings and hearings, read the language of the ordinances before us. We can’t change policy by only focusing on Ward 1, we have to know our city hall and build systems that serve everyone.
I’ll share more on that as we move forward. Councilor Goncalves will continue to serve Ward 1 until January, but feel free to reach out to me at miguelyoungspvd@gmail.com.
Thank you.
This is the Most Expensive Race in City Council History
Wow. The data is in from the RI Board of Elections, and our opponent has spent more in this race than in any other council race in Providence’s history.
And that is what is at stake: Do we want a city councilor who is constantly raising big donations from out-of-town developers, big property managers, and their legal teams? Do we want a councilor who is constantly running for office or one that is focused on the real work at City Hall? I am running to represent the people of Ward 1 and Providence, not corporate interests.
I am so proud that our campaign is powered by volunteers, not paid consultants. But running against unprecedented money isn’t easy. With just a week left, we need everyone in Ward 1 to understand what is at stake and to vote. Review the data below and share with people you know in Ward 1. - Miguel
source: RI Board of Elections filing data as of September 2, 2026 ricampaignfinance.com
What You Should Know
> John Goncalves has spent more on his race than any candidate in Providence City Council history. So far he’s spent $141,793.18.
> John has spent nearly seven times what Miguel has spent.
> John spent nearly $50,000 on paid consultants and paid staff. Miguel’s campaign is powered by real Providence voters, not paid operatives.
> John spent more than $25,000 on his personal videographer — that’s more than Miguel’s entire campaign budget.
> John, as the sitting councilor, was actively spending well before Miguel entered the race in June. In fact John is known for spending more money than other candidates even when he doesn’t have an opponent.
> Since he became a city councilor in 2020, John has raised an astonishing $418,600 — even though he hasn’t had an opponent or a campaign until now. One reason no one would take John on is they know they will be outspent.
Transparency: The Data
source: RI Board of Elections filing data as of September 2, 2026 ricampaignfinance.com
Majority of Providence City Council Endorses
Miguel Martínez Youngs for Ward One
Eight of fifteen sitting City Councilors — including Council President Miller — back Martínez Youngs ahead of September 9th Democratic primary
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Miguel Martínez Youngs, a candidate for Providence City Council in Ward One, today announced the endorsement of eight of the fifteen current members of the Providence City Council, a majority of the body:
Rachel Miller, Council President, Ward 13
Jill Davidson, Ward 2
Sue AnderBois, Ward 3
Justin Roias, Ward 4
Miguel Sanchez, Ward 6
Mary Kay Harris, Ward 11
Althea Graves, Ward 12
Shelley Peterson, Ward 14
They are joined by former Ward 2 City Councilor Helen Anthony.
In a joint statement, the nine leaders said:
“We are writing to the residents of Ward One to share our support for Miguel Youngs. Working in neighborhoods across the city, we came together on the City Council to reform what had been ‘business as usual’ for many years.Those reforms have increased resident voice in decision making, and we’ve worked hard to make the legislative branch of local government more collaborative, responsive, and accountable to residents across the city.
Miguel's policy work was important to efforts on expanding affordability, preparing our schools for return to local control, and tax reform. We have also worked with him on neighborhood, constituent, and city infrastructure concerns. Miguel has earned our trust and respect.
It is unusual for elected officials to endorse an incumbent’s opponent, but we trust Miguel Youngs to do what is right for the residents of Ward One, even when it means challenging insiders and powerful interests like corporate housing developers."
"To have the support of a majority of the City Council — colleagues who have seen my work and my commitment to our future — means so much to me," said Martínez Youngs. "These councilors represent every corner of our city, and know that getting things done for residents means working together across differences, building real consensus and standing up to special interests. I'm ready to do that work for Ward One and Providence."
The endorsement follows support from many Ward One neighbors, and builds a broad coalition of current and former elected officials behind Martínez Youngs' campaign.
About Miguel Martínez Youngs
Miguel Martínez Youngs is a lifelong Rhode Islander running for Providence City Council in Ward One. A graduate of public schools, he worked his way through Rhode Island College and spent seven years in Ward 1's cultural institutions — including the Providence Performing Arts Center, Trinity Rep, and the Rhode Island Historical Society — before earning a Master’s in economics at George Mason University.For three and a half years, Martínez Youngs served in the policy office of the Providence City Council, where he led the research behind the city's first-in-the-nation ban on rent-setting algorithms and served as primary author of the Housing Crisis Task Force's final report, which shaped Council initiatives on affordable housing, zoning, and rent stabilization. He also helped draft ordinances protecting historic districts, regulating cannabis retail, and preserving land for housing and neighborhood businesses.
Martínez Youngs has served on the board of Stages of Freedom, a Ward One organization celebrating Black Rhode Island heritage, for nearly a decade, and founded the Providence Gambit Chess Club. He is a member of Saint Joseph Church on Hope Street.
Martínez Youngs is seeking the Democratic nomination for Ward One in the primary election on Wednesday, September 9th.
Learn more: www.miguelyoungspvd.com
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