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Adam Greenman on winning the Pawtucket mayoral primary and what residents want next

Adam Greenman, the presumptive next mayor of Pawtucket, talks about his upset primary win over longtime Mayor Don Grebien and why he got into the race in the first place. The conversation centers on what voters were saying on the ground, from affordability and city services to the loss of Memorial Hospital and the need for stronger local-state collaboration.

Key topics

• In this episode, Adam Greenman explains that his campaign grew out of a widespread feeling in Pawtucket that things had gone stale after 16 years of the same administration.
• He describes his background, including Teach for America in Camden, work at United Way of Rhode Island, and eight and a half years leading the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.
• Greenman says early conversations in living rooms and backyards confirmed that residents were frustrated with rising taxes, declining services, and a city focus that seemed too centered on the soccer stadium and train station.
• He says the biggest issue voters raised was affordability, especially for renters, homeowners on fixed incomes, and seniors worried about staying in their homes.
• Education came up repeatedly, not just school buildings but what is happening inside them, along with frustration that City Hall was not listening closely enough to neighborhood concerns like traffic around the new high school.
• He says public safety and quality-of-life issues mattered too, including bulk trash pickup, rats, and general bread-and-butter municipal services.
• Greenman says the campaign’s door-to-door operation was decisive, with about 2,500 individual conversations after knocking on close to 15,000 doors.
• He argues that the biggest long-term loss for Pawtucket residents is Memorial Hospital, saying that people felt the impact of losing a nearby hospital in their daily lives, not just as a headline issue.
• He connects the hospital closure to the broader problem of paying more while getting less, and says local officials need to think seriously about options like ambulatory or non-major emergency care.
• Greenman outlines a plan to bring Pawtucket’s state delegation together for regular conversations with city leadership, so municipal and state officials can coordinate on funding, emergency services, special education, and multilingual learner support.

Timestamps

00:00 - Greenman’s primary win and the significance of the race
 00:20 - Why he entered the mayoral race
 01:29 - Background: Teach for America, United Way, and the Jewish Alliance
 02:19 - Why Pawtucket felt ready for change
 03:00 - Conversations in living rooms, backyards, and on doors
 04:24 - How 15,000 doors and 2,500 conversations shaped the campaign
 05:35 - Affordability as the top issue for renters, owners, and seniors
 06:04 - Schools, traffic concerns, and residents feeling unheard
 07:01 - Trash pickup, rats, and other quality-of-life complaints
 08:11 - Why the stadium and train station were not the real focus
 09:00 - Memorial Hospital as the biggest loss residents feel
 09:55 - Exploring possible local care alternatives after the hospital closure
 11:58 - How service loss and crowding reinforce the affordability problem
 13:26 - What a new mayoral era could mean for collaboration in Rhode Island
 14:11 - Plans to bring together state reps, senators, and city leaders
 16:33 - Working with Mayor Grebien during the transition

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Bill Bartholomew reads from Lula da Silva’s 2002 Letter to the Brazilian People, then connects its message—an ambitious agenda paired with an open invitation to allies—to Providence’s current political moment.

He argues that David Morales can stay committed to affordability and rent stabilization while building productive relationships with skeptics and institutional partners. The episode explores the practical challenges of governing, including existing agreements and policing, and looks to New York and Boston for examples of broad coalition-building without abandoning core goals.

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Rhode Island Primary Results: An Affordability Referendum, Not Just an Anti-Incumbent Wave

Bill Bartholomew breaks down Rhode Island’s primary results and argues the night was driven by one central issue: affordability. He connects the outcomes in the governor’s race, Providence mayor’s race, and local council contests to a broader rejection of leaders who seemed disconnected from the lived reality of rising housing costs, broken communication, and political inauthenticity.He also looks at how the Democratic Party has shifted, why progressives and anti-establishment candidates surged, and what the results may mean for the general election and the next generation of Rhode Island leadership.

Key topics

• The night’s three big takeaways: bad night for incumbents, great night for progressives, and a statewide referendum on the affordability crisis
• Why Bill sees Helena Foulkes’ win over Dan McKee as the culmination of a long political and messaging collapse around the Washington Bridge
• How McKee’s handling of the bridge crisis became a symbol of a broader disconnect between state government and everyday Rhode Islanders
• Why Providence mayor Brett Smiley and other incumbents were overwhelmed by voters who wanted immediate action on rent and housing
• The role of rent stabilization in Providence as a vehicle for much bigger frustration about housing costs, gaslighting, and feeling unheard
• How local, hyper-specific issues like grocery store covenants, ward races, and neighborhood frustration added up into a bigger anti-incumbent shift
• The collapse of establishment-backed and Trojan horse conservative efforts in Democratic primaries, which Bill says failed because they lacked authenticity
• Why Sabina Matos survived the lieutenant governor primary and how local issue work, like grocery access, may have mattered
• The implications of the primary for the Republican side, including Ken Block, John Laughlin, and Victor Meller
• The larger structural change in Rhode Island politics, from the old machine to a new, unsettled power landscape

Timestamps

00:00 - The bottom line on Rhode Island primary night
 00:59 - Why Bill waited to process the results before reacting
 01:28 - Helena Foulkes’ long runway back into politics
 02:26 - The Washington Bridge as the defining issue for McKee
 03:51 - Why this was a deliberate shift, not an accident
 04:49 - Providence turnout and the impact of mobilized voting
 05:45 - Affordability as the state’s defining crisis
 06:37 - Why the governor’s race became impossible to win without a clearer strategy
 08:12 - The communication failures that hurt McKee
 09:36 - What the Republican field may or may not become
 10:28 - Why Providence turnout signaled trouble for Smiley
 11:20 - Rent control as a symptom of a much larger housing crisis
 13:02 - Local council losses and the punishment of anti-rent vote behavior
 14:19 - Why the conservative primary strategy collapsed
 15:29 - Feeling gaslit about housing, education, energy, and infrastructure
 16:35 - “Get small” and the rise of local organizing
 17:21 - Kim Ahern’s win and the role of coalition strength
 18:11 - The lieutenant governor race and why Sabina Matos survived
 20:02 - Why John Laughlin may make the LG race more competitive, but not simple
 21:32 - Grocery store covenants and hyperlocal issue politics
 22:47 - The Morales victory party and the sense of collective rejection
 23:57 - Why the Providence rent fight became a referendum on being heard
 24:41 - What should have happened between the city and mayor’s office
 25:47 - Why the ordinance details mattered less than the feeling of exclusion
 27:45 - Why the “socialism” framing misses the actual story
 29:03 - Rhode Island’s old political machine and what replaced it
 30:37 - Victor Meller’s dominant showing in CD2
 32:07 - Age, leadership, and who actually runs the world now
 33:34 - Why voters rejected fake, prepackaged politics
 35:13 - The election as a populist correction to out-of-touch leadership
 36:21 - Rent increases, housing pressure, and the lack of real debate
 37:42 - What losing candidates should reflect on now
 39:28 - Coalition shifts across races
 40:02 - The post-machine political universe in Rhode Island
 41:06 - Why this was also a generational referendum

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Rhode Island Primary Day Preview: McKee vs. Foulkes, Providence Mayor, and the Races to Watch

Bill Bartholomew previews Rhode Island’s Democratic primary with a focus on the long-running Helena Foulkes versus Governor Dan McKee race, the tight Providence mayoral contest, and the down-ballot primaries that could shape the night. He argues that turnout, low-information voters, and shrinking political engagement may matter more than the polling consensus suggests.The episode is a mix of election analysis, candidate-by-candidate observations, and a broader reflection on why this primary feels quieter than past cycles. Bill also outlines what to watch on election night and how the results could unfold, including the possibility of recounts.

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Inside Communications: Rhode Island Primary Closing Messages and Election Predictions

Bill Bartholomew and Half Street Group’s Mike Raia break down how campaigns shift from persuasion to turnout in the final stretch before Rhode Island’s primary elections. They also look at which candidates are handling their closing messages well, how early voting changes campaign strategy, and where the major races appear to be headed.

Key topics

• In this episode, Bill Bartholomew and Mike Raia discuss why the Rhode Island election season finally feels fully underway, with more yard signs, more voter curiosity, and more attention to early voting.
• Mike explains what a closing message is in campaign communications, describing it as the final turn from persuasion to mobilization in the last two to three weeks before voting ends.
• They discuss how campaigns should peak at the right moment, since cresting too early can leave a candidate vulnerable to losing attention before Election Day.
• Mike says the most successful closing messages usually shift away from attacking opponents and toward biography, vision, authenticity, and turnout.
• They examine Governor Dan McKee’s messaging and argue that his campaign has spent too much time defining Helena Foulkes instead of telling his own story.
• The conversation highlights early voting as a major strategic factor, especially in light of the 2022 governor’s race and how late-breaking debate timing affected Helena Foulkes’ momentum.
• Mike says Mayor Brett Smiley has one of the strongest closing strategies in Rhode Island right now, crediting him for clearly defining his base and contrasting his leadership style with David Morales.
• They also discuss the lieutenant governor’s race, where Mike sees Saya as having an effective closing message built around showing Rhode Islanders themselves in the campaign’s imagery and tone.
• In the attorney general’s race, Mike says the key battle appears to be between Kim Ahern and Keith Hoffman, with Ahern possibly benefiting from Helena Foulkes’s broader support network.
• The episode closes with a broader reflection on generational turnover in Rhode Island politics, with Bill and Mike arguing that millennial and Gen X leaders are increasingly ready to take the reins.

Timestamps

00:00 - Election season finally feels real in Rhode Island

01:08 - Early voting, yard signs, and the race for voter attention

04:02 - What a closing message actually is

05:18 - Why campaigns stop persuading and start mobilizing

06:29 - Why attacking the opponent can weaken a final push

08:28 - Final two weeks are about turnout, not conversion

09:05 - How media, field, and mail work together late in the race

10:35 - Why timing the closing message matters more than ever

12:36 - Building a campaign cadence backward from the decision date

13:54 - Brett Smiley’s closing message in the Providence mayor’s race

15:25 - Saya’s visual and generational strategy in the lieutenant governor race

17:17 - Mike’s governor’s race prediction: Helena Foulkes by a wide margin

19:37 - Mike’s Providence mayor prediction: Smiley over Morales

22:19 - Why the lieutenant governor race is so hard to call

23:37 - The attorney general race and the Kim Ahern versus Keith Hoffman split

27:06 - Rhode Island’s leadership transition to younger generations

29:36 - Why millennials see themselves as ready for leadership now

31:35 - Final thoughts heading into election day

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EPISODE DESCRIPTION - Ready to publishRhode Islanders are sending a blunt message: the healthcare system is not just expensive, it's forcing people to delay care, skip tests, and rethink whether treatment is even worth it. University of Rhode Island sociologist Julie Keller unpacks the new survey data exposing how deep the affordability crisis really goes - and why the numbers are more alarming than the anecdotes.The findings go beyond general frustration. 29% of respondents say they delayed medical care in the last year because of cost, and among those postponing recommended care, cost is the biggest reason. Keller explains why the wording of these questions matters, how the survey captures the difference between general concern and real-world barriers, and why that gap is so consequential for health outcomes and medical debt.We also break down the broader public sentiment shaping Rhode Island right now:

• 72% worry about healthcare costs

• 72% also worry about housing costs

• 93% trust their own doctor

• Trust drops sharply for institutions like the CDC, FDA, Rhode Island state officials, RFK Jr., and Trump

• 49% say they use AI for health information, raising new questions about how people search for care and advice

Keller also shares what Rhode Islanders say they would support to fix the system, including a URI medical school, loan forgiveness for doctors who stay in the state, and higher Medicaid reimbursements. If you're trying to understand why healthcare keeps rising to the top of Rhode Island's political agenda, or what kinds of solutions actually have public support, this episode gives you the clearest picture yet.Essential listening if you care about healthcare costs, access to care, policy reform, or the real state of public opinion in Rhode Island right now.

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BB is joined by Dan McGowan for a final-week look at Rhode Island’s primary races. They unpack turnout, the Providence mayoral contest, the governor’s race, and the down-ballot battles for lieutenant governor and attorney general.

In this episode

• Why turnout and early voting may decide the election
• The momentum behind David Morales in the Providence mayoral race
• Whether Brett Smiley’s incumbent coalition can hold
• How Morales has broadened his appeal beyond progressive voters
• The Washington Bridge and opioid crisis as central issues in the governor’s race
• Why Dan McKee’s closing message may matter with undecided voters
• The crowded lieutenant governor race and its two apparent front-runners
• The attorney general contest, campaign dynamics, and the importance of endorsements
• Where to subscribe to Dan McGowan’s Roadmap newsletter

Timestamps

• 00:00 — Final-week election outlook and the importance of turnout
• 01:07 — Why the Providence mayoral race is the most compelling contest
• 02:09 — Early voting, new voters, and the Morales coalition
• 04:34 — Can David Morales expand beyond democratic-socialist support?
• 05:05 — Morales’s positive campaign and voter perceptions
• 06:44 — How a Morales administration could work with either governor
• 09:36 — Why Brett Smiley could still narrowly win
• 10:59 — The governor’s race: Washington Bridge vs. opioid crisis
• 11:41 — Why the bridge issue may be dominating voter sentiment
• 12:52 — Could McKee have made a stronger working-families case?
• 14:37 — McKee’s “grandfatherly” appeal and undecided voters
• 16:20 — Polling, closing ads, and the race for late deciders
• 18:04 — Lieutenant governor: who has a real path to victory?
• 20:18 — Why campaigning for lieutenant governor is uniquely difficult
• 21:25 — Attorney general race: the leading candidates and challengers
• 22:37 — Money, institutional support, and the East Side dynamic
• 24:44 — Candidate temperament and what voters may value in an attorney general
• 25:53 — The potential impact of Peter Neronha’s endorsement
• 27:00 — How to subscribe to Roadmap and final election-week thoughts

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Rhode Island’s primary sprint, the Providence mayor’s race, and the shakeup in statewide politics

With early voting underway, Bill Bartholomew and Jim Hummel (The Hummel Report, Ocean State Media, WPRO) break down a Rhode Island primary that feels unusually compressed, low-energy, and wide open in several marquee races. They focus on the governor’s race, the Providence mayoral primary, and how turnout, apathy, and candidate organization could decide everything.We discuss why the governor’s race appears to be Helena Foulkes versus Dan McKee, why Providence mayor could be the most consequential contest on the ballot, and how the attorney general and lieutenant governor primaries are shaped by heavy uncertainty and weak candidate separation. The conversation also zooms out to the collapse of Rhode Island Republican infrastructure and the question of whether independent Ken Block can change the dynamics.

Key topics

• The primary feels like a sprint after a long buildup, with very little time to energize voters before election day.
• Hummel argues that apathy is the dominant force in this cycle, especially because many races feel either predetermined or hard to differentiate.
• In the governor’s race, Dan McKee is framed as carrying a long list of political liabilities, including the Washington Bridge, CVS/opioids, and general voter fatigue.
• Helena Foulkes is seen as holding a consistent polling advantage, with multiple polls showing her ahead by a meaningful margin.
• The Providence mayor’s race between incumbent Brett Smiley and challenger David Morales is described as the most interesting contest, with Morales bringing national attention and youthful energy.
• Smiley’s strength is his political infrastructure, especially his turnout operation and support from Eddie Catucci, who is described as a master of mail ballots and ground game.
• The lieutenant governor and attorney general primaries are portrayed as crowded and muddy, with lots of undecided voters and very little ideological separation.
• The discussion notes that gun policy and constitutional concerns may be pushing some Democratic voters away from more aggressive positions in the AG race.
• National anti-incumbent sentiment is seen as helping challengers broadly, but not necessarily translating cleanly to every local race.
• Rhode Island Republicans are described as deeply weakened, lacking a coherent bench, a strong message, or an effective opposition strategy.
• Aaron Guckian and the Republican gubernatorial field are viewed as weakly positioned, while the congressional races are portrayed as even more chaotic.
• Ken Block is treated as the most plausible wild card in the governor’s race, especially if he can consolidate support or benefit from a one-on-one dynamic.

Timestamps

(00:00) Opening the primary sprint and why this cycle feels flat
 (01:43) Why turnout and election-day energy matter more than usual
 (03:23) Providence mayor becomes the race to watch
 (05:36) McKee’s polling problem and the uphill climb in the governor’s race
 (06:23) What could help McKee and what still works against him
 (07:31) Smiley’s turnout machine versus Morales’ grassroots energy
 (08:42) Why the lieutenant governor and AG races are so unsettled
 (09:46) Little separation in the AG field and the gun policy divide
 (11:23) Does national anti-incumbent anger spill into Rhode Island?
 (13:14) What Providence schools and city management mean for Smiley
 (14:15) The collapse of the Rhode Island Republican ecosystem
 (15:55) Why the GOP congressional slate looks so weak
 (17:14) How Trump hollowed out the state party
 (19:41) Could Ken Block become the real governor’s race alternative?
 (21:55) Block’s media strategy and money challenge
 (22:25) Election day timing, early voting, and closing thoughts

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Annajane Yolken on Ward 13, rent stabilization, and the future of Providence

Bill Bartholomew speaks with Annajane Yolken, a Democratic primary candidate for Providence City Council Ward 13, about why she entered the race and what she hears at the doors. Yolken explains how her work in social services and overdose prevention shaped her view of Providence's affordability crisis and why she sees city council as a place to turn policy into action.They also get into the biggest issues facing the ward and the city, including rent stabilization, housing development, Providence's creative identity, and the divestment vote. Yolken argues that the election is a turning point for the city's direction.

Key topics

• Why Yolken entered the race
  • She says her work in social services and overdose prevention gave her a direct view of the city's affordability crisis.
  • She points to her role in helping pass and implement the first in the nation authorization of an overdose prevention center as proof that local government can make meaningful change.
• Her background in public health and policy
  • Yolken works at Project Weber Renew, which serves people experiencing homelessness and people who use drugs.
  • She says the organization serves about 7,000 unique individuals in Rhode Island through two drop in centers.
  • She previously worked at the State House on criminal justice reform and overdose policy.
• What Ward 13 residents are most worried about
  • The biggest issue she hears is cost of living, especially rent.
  • She says the ward is mostly renters, and many neighbors are worried about being priced out of Providence entirely.
• Support for rent stabilization
  • Yolken says she supports rent stabilization and would vote yes on the ordinance as passed.
  • She also says the policy needs to be handled thoughtfully.
  • She adds that her opponent, Connor Blier, testified against rent stabilization publicly.
• Development and affordability
  • She supports streamlining bureaucratic city processes for housing development.
  • In her view, delays add costs that eventually get passed on to tenants.
• Pushback on being labeled an outsider
  • Yolken says she has lived in Providence for 19 years and in the ward for 12 years.
  • She calls attacks on her local roots a distraction from the real issues.
  • She says voters care more about affordability, schools, and sidewalks than where someone went to college.
• Providence's political direction
  • Yolken says she agrees that Providence is at a critical juncture.
  • She recalls that when she moved to Ward 13, rents were under $300 and the area had a strong artist community.
  • She argues the city has lost some of that creative energy because people can no longer afford to stay.
• The divestment vote and symbolic city action
  • Yolken says she will vote yes on the divestment measure.
  • As a Jewish resident, she says she feels an obligation to speak critically about Israel's actions against Palestinians.
  • She also says symbolic acts, like raising the Palestinian flag at City Hall, matter because they can spark important public conversation.
• Supporting artists and the creative capital identity
  • She says the city should do more to platform local artists and connect arts policy to the people actually creating art on the ground.
  • She specifically mentions the Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism and Ward 13's Valley Arts District.
  • She wants development to preserve affordable space for artists and community use.
• Her closing pitch
  • Yolken says her career has been about helping people through difficult moments.
  • She wants to bring care and compassion to City Hall.
  • She invites residents to reach out and get involved in the race.

Timestamps

00:00 - Why Annajane Yolken entered the Ward 13 race
 01:26 - Her work at Project Weber Renew and overdose policy background
 02:31 - Ward 13 voters' top concern: rent and cost of living
 03:32 - Streamlining housing development to reduce costs
 04:48 - Aligning with David Morales on Providence's direction
 06:05 - Responding to claims that she's not a local
 07:35 - Why she sees the "outsider" attack as a distraction
 08:44 - Her support for rent stabilization and where Connor Blier stood
 10:58 - Providence's loss of affordability and creative identity
 13:54 - Why this election could decide the city's future direction
 15:50 - Her support for the divestment measure and Palestinian flag symbolism
 18:41 - How City Hall should support artists and the creative economy
 20:45 - Final pitch: care, compassion, and community leadership

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Connor Blier on Providence Ward 13, rent stabilization and local political trust

Connor Blier joins Bartholomewtown to explain why he entered the open Providence Ward 13 race and how his personal history in Rhode Island shapes his campaign. The conversation centers on rent stabilization, city leadership, and his broader argument that local politics has drifted away from working-class residents.

We discuss Blier’s criticism of insider politics, his belief that the recent rent stabilization effort was used as a political tool, and why he says the city needs representatives who answer the phone, show up in neighborhoods, and write policy from lived experience.

Key topics

• Blier says he entered the Ward 13 race because he sees a repeat of what he experienced in Rhode Island’s cannabis industry, where he believes small operators were squeezed out by corruption and insider access.
• He argues that the original dispensary licensing process hurt local homeowners and small businesses, and says that experience made him wary of how government power can push working people out.
• The discussion turns to Providence rent stabilization, where Blier says he supports meaningful protection for renters and homeowners, but only if the policy is written carefully enough to avoid harming small property owners and neighborhood families.
• He claims the rent stabilization push was used as a political maneuver rather than a sincere effort to pass workable legislation, and says working-class people were being turned against each other for electoral purposes.
• Bill Bartholomew presses Blier on whether the City Council and Mayor Smiley ever had a realistic path to a deal, and Blier responds that the process lacked honesty and clear intent.
• Blier says his campaign is aimed at local representation first: answering calls, helping residents navigate city services, and being physically present in the ward.
• He describes Ward 13 as a working-class district and says the city’s biggest issue is cost of living, especially housing pressure and the risk of homelessness.
• He argues Providence has not built enough housing, has failed to keep pace with population growth, and needs to incentivize development while also protecting people already living there.
• Blier says he is running against the political machine rather than just an opponent, pointing to endorsements, out-of-state money, and establishment ties as signs of a broader insider network.
• He closes by saying the race is a chance to break that system and restore local, working-class voice to Ward 13.

Timestamps

00:00 - Ward 13 special election and why Connor Blier jumped in
00:30 - Cannabis licensing, small business losses, and Blier’s origin story
03:03 - What Blier means by corruption in Rhode Island politics
06:26 - Rent stabilization becomes the central Providence issue
07:24 - Support for tenant protections, but only with real carve outs
09:22 - Why Blier says small homeowners could get caught in bad policy
10:35 - The recording involving Senator Sam Bell and the rent vote
12:45 - Bill challenges the claim that the process was a sham
13:45 - Blier argues the council had the votes to pass it
15:57 - Why Blier says local government should focus on residents first
18:14 - Cost of living, housing pressure, and the working class in Providence
19:37 - Record tax rates, city spending, and frustration with priorities
20:39 - Why Blier says he is running against the political machine
21:29 - Out-of-state money, endorsements, and insider influence
22:54 - The Ward 13 opening and Blier’s case for a local candidate
24:36 - Campaign response, neighborhood reception, and limited resources
27:14 - Blier on mayoral politics, local trust, and neighborhood accountability

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