PROVIDENCE — On the night of April 2, John Goncalves was on the City Council floor, explaining why he was about to cast his vote against rent control.
Goncalves’ decision, which he hadn’t yet publicly disclosed, was pivotal. Leading up to the vote, nine of 15 councilors had committed to voting for the rent stabilization ordinance, and five were against. Supporters needed 10 votes, enough to override the mayor, who had pledged to veto it.
The pressure was on. Progressive group Reclaim Rhode Island had promised Goncalves he would get a primary challenger if he voted against the proposal, which would
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