If it was up to Providence voters, Kamala Harris would be the incoming President, with massive Democratic majorities in the US House and Senate to back her up. Of course, in the real world, American voters chose Donald Trump and provided him with majorities in the Senate and House as well.
However out of step with the nation, Providence’s deep Democratic loyalty is clearly genuine. Nearly 3 out of 4 voters chose Harris over Trump for President. Still, on Providence ballots, the only choice for most elected offices was a Democratic incumbent.
The only true contests were non-partisan elections for five newly-created elected School Board positions, each representing a different geographic part of the city. Ballot Question 1, whether to hold a statewide Constitutional Convention, was also a relatively close vote, here, being rejected by Providence voters by a four percent margin.
55,463 Total number of Providence ballots cast for the office of US President.
40,800 Votes for Democrat Kamala Harris as President (73.6%.
12,755 Votes for Republican Donald Trump as President (23.0%).
42.8% Highest percentage of Trump votes in any of Providence’s 85 polling places (Precinct 2879, Kingdom Lighthouse Church in Silver Lake).
4.0% Lowest percentage of Trump votes in any Providence polling place (Precinct 2816, Martin Luther King Elementary School on the East Side).
9 Number of Rhode Island Senate elections to represent some area of Providence.
1 Number of Providence Senatorial candidates facing an opponent on the ballot. (Democratic incumbent Senator Sam Bell defeated Republican challenger William D. Connell, Jr. with 78.5% of the vote.)
14 Number of Rhode Island House of Representatives elections to represent some area of Providence.
0 Number of incumbent Providence Representatives facing an opponent for re-election.
14 Number of Democratic incumbents re-elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives.
5 Number of newly created Providence School Board districts holding their first (non-partisan) elections in 2024.
5 Number of contested elections for Providence School Board.
17 Total number of candidates running for a School Board seat.
1 Number of currently appointed School Board members to win a new elected seat. Current School Board member Ty’relle Stephens defeated DeNiel Jones to represent School Board District 5.
3 Number of currently appointed School Board members who ran for a seat but lost to a challenger. Toni Akin, Night Jean Muhingabo and Michael Nina were all defeated at the polls.
48% Percent of Providence voters who supported holding a statewide Constitutional Convention to amend the state’s basic law. This proposal was voted down by the statewide electorate.
37.5% Percent of voters statewide who supported the Constitutional Convention proposal.
Source: Rhode Island Board of Elections. Election Results for Providence
Jonathan Howard is Co-founder of Cause & Effect, Inc., a consulting company that provides strategic planning facilitation, fund development planning and board strengthening to mission-driven organizations. He is a long- time resident of Providence.
