David B Talan
Candidate for Mayor, City of Providence
Background
- Occupation
- Legislative administrative assistant; Providence Republican Party co-chair
Co-chair of the Providence Republican Party and administrative assistant to state Rep. Ramon Perez, he served 12 years on the city's Board of Park Commissioners and has served 16 terms as president of the Reservoir Triangle Neighborhood Association.
Documented positions
Taxes & budget
Proposes cutting school busing costs to hold down taxes.
He estimates that halving the number of bused students would save about $10 million a year.
ReportProvidence Mayoral Candidate Dave Talan is a “firewall to prevent Providence becoming a laboratory for socialism”Interview · Steve Ahlquist · steveahlquist.substack.com
“improve the quality of education, and hold down taxes at the same time, and the biggest place we could save money is busing.”
Public safety
Supports the directive barring police cooperation with ICE.
ReportProvidence Mayoral Candidate Dave Talan is a “firewall to prevent Providence becoming a laboratory for socialism”Interview · Steve Ahlquist · steveahlquist.substack.com
“I basically agreed with what Mayor Smiley did in directing the police not to cooperate with ICE.”
Education
Supports an optional return to neighborhood schools.
He would let families choose a walkable neighborhood elementary or middle school instead of busing, without requiring it.
ReportProvidence Mayoral Candidate Dave Talan is a “firewall to prevent Providence becoming a laboratory for socialism”Interview · Steve Ahlquist · steveahlquist.substack.com
“I’d like to go back to the neighborhood school model for the families who want that.”
Proposes shrinking the school district's central administrative office.
ReportProvidence Mayoral Candidate Dave Talan is a “firewall to prevent Providence becoming a laboratory for socialism”Interview · Steve Ahlquist · steveahlquist.substack.com
“I think the administrative office is totally bloated.”
Supports letting charter schools use empty school buildings.
ReportProvidence Mayoral Candidate Dave Talan is a “firewall to prevent Providence becoming a laboratory for socialism”Interview · Steve Ahlquist · steveahlquist.substack.com
“You’ve got all these school buildings the charter schools could use, and it would solve so many problems.”
Housing
Opposes rent control and supports building more housing.
ReportProvidence Mayoral Candidate Dave Talan is a “firewall to prevent Providence becoming a laboratory for socialism”Interview · Steve Ahlquist · steveahlquist.substack.com
“I’m concerned that rent control will prevent anybody new from coming in and building anything new in Providence … To do that, you’re going to have to build more housing.”
Roads & infrastructure
Proposes hiring landscapers with trucks to plow smaller storms.
For storms of a foot or more, he would outbid the state for large plowing contractors.
ReportProvidence Mayoral Candidate Dave Talan is a “firewall to prevent Providence becoming a laboratory for socialism”Interview · Steve Ahlquist · steveahlquist.substack.com
“when you get a storm of less than a foot, hire all the landscapers with trucks to plow it.”
Other issues in this race
Other candidates in this race addressed these topics. We found no documented position from David B Talan on them.
- Environment & parksNo documented position found.
- Health & human servicesNo documented position found.
All sources (3)
- Candidate Search: November 3, 2026 General Election (candidates on the election ballot)
Election filing · Rhode Island Department of State, Elections Division · vote.sos.ri.gov
- Candidate Search: November 3, 2026 General Election (candidates on the election ballot) (Providence County offices and districts)
Election filing · Rhode Island Department of State, Elections Division · vote.sos.ri.gov
- Providence Mayoral Candidate Dave Talan is a “firewall to prevent Providence becoming a laboratory for socialism”
Interview · Steve Ahlquist · steveahlquist.substack.com
Positions are summarized from the sources listed and are not inferred from party affiliation. Items marked “Provided by” were published by the candidate's verified campaign or party office under our campaign content standards. See something wrong? Use the Report link beside it, or contact us.