Representative David Morales
Member, House Innovation, Internet and Technology Committee
Member, House Municipal Government and Housing Committee
David Morales was elected
on November 3, 2020, to serve the people of District 7 in Providence’s Mount
Pleasant, Valley and Elmhurst neighborhoods. Representative Morales is a member
of the House Innovation, Internet and Technology Committee and the House
Municipal Government and Housing Committee.
In his first year in the
House, he sponsored two bills that were passed into law: one prohibiting employers
from reporting, or threatening to report an employee's immigration status for whistle
blowing; and another prohibiting
insurers from charging copayments
for COVID-19 treatment and vaccinations.
He also co-sponsored bills signed into law that cap the monthly cost of insulin
at $40, prohibit housing discrimination based on one’s source of income, and
prevent workers from being excluded from receiving overtime pay on Sunday and
holidays. Other bills he has introduced include numerous efforts to protect the
rights of workers, provide essential workers with hazard pay, prevent people
from experiencing utility shut-offs, encourage multilingual education in public
schools, and to expand affordable health care, including one to establish a
universal, single-payer health care system in Rhode Island.
Born September 16, 1998, he was raised by a single immigrant mother in the
rural town of Soledad, CA alongside his older sister. He graduated from Soledad
High School in 2016 and two years later he graduated from the University of
California Irvine with a bachelor’s in urban studies. In 2019, at age 20, he
became the youngest graduate in the history of the Brown University Public
Affairs master’s program.
Representative Morales is a member of the National Association of Latino
Elected Officials (NALEO) and is also one of the only Democratic Socialists of
America (DSA) members elected to public office. Inspired by his socioeconomic
background and lived experience, he is a passionate advocate for public
education, affordable housing, and healthcare accessibility.
Representative Morales works at Year Up Rhode Island as an internship and
employment specialist. He resides in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.