Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera on housing progress, what’s next for schools, and why more Latinos are voting Republican

Maria Rivera made history in Central Falls when she won election in 2020 as the first Latina mayor in Rhode Island. Rivera does not yet face any announced opponents for re-election this year and she’s an up and comer in Rhode Island politics. During her time in office, Rivera has led the charge to build more housing, with a goal of completing 300 new units. Central Falls broke ground on a new high school last month and millions of dollars have been raised for a new community center. But the one square mile-sized city, like the rest of the state, still has a way to go in addressing its need for housing, better jobs and higher performing schools. Can Mayor Rivera make more progress in delivering these needs? Does she plan to run statewide in 2026? And what does this Democrat say about how more Latinos are voting Republican? This week on Political Roundtable, we're going in-depth with the mayor of Central Falls, Maria Rivera.

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