Providence City Council Ward 2 Primary

PROVIDENCE, RI — Four candidates face off Tuesday night in the City Council Ward 2 Democratic primary.

David Caldwell, Jill Davidson, Jeffrey Levy and Matthew McDermott are on the ballot.

Axel Brito, a Republican, is unopposed and advances to the Dec. 2 General Election.

McDermott, a senior vice president at Whitman Insight Strategies, a communications strategy and public opinion research firm, said the most important issue facing Ward 2 is the "return of Providence schools to local control."

"My husband and I chose Providence as our home because we believe in its promise — and we’re ready to fight for it," McDermott said. "For us, this race is deeply personal. We’re here to grow and raise a family, and this campaign is about building a city that lives up to its promise. Providence faces a once-in-a-generation opportunity to return schools to local control, tackle the housing crisis, and invest in robust public infrastructure."

Related: Matthew McDermott — Providence Ward 2 City Council Candidate

If elected, Caldwell said on his website, he will "focus on protecting the environment, ensuring a high quality of life, preserving the integrity and character of our East Side neighborhoods while planning responsibly across the city for growth, promoting housing affordability so families, students, young professionals, working families, and seniors can continue to live and thrive in Providence; bringing Providence schools back under local control; bringing smart, responsible budgeting and practical problem-solving to our City’s finances; and fighting for Providence at the state level, ensuring our city and schools get a fair shake from state leaders at the State House."

Davidson said Providence's "schools, finances, and affordability face dire challenges from local obstacles and Trump’s relentless attacks from DC."

"After two decades of advocacy in Providence — bringing together broad coalitions to support our public schools, advance climate resilience and push for responsive government — I’m ready to bring my skills and experience to City Hall," she said on her website.

Levy, an attorney, said he has performed "pro bono legal work to stop Republican election theft, defended civil liberties through volunteer work with the ACLU, and supported passage of progressive policies like paid leave and fair taxation through my board service with the Economic Progress Institute."

"This is a perilous time for American democracy," he said on his website. "Every day we see new atrocities committed by the President and his allies, and it's easy to feel helpless to fight back."