Ayanna Pressley

A Providence City Council candidate is being criticized for campaign flyers featuring Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The candidate, John Goncalves, also had an outdated endorsements page on his website which has since been taken down.

Both Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ayanna Pressley have stated they have not endorsed Goncalves' campaign.

Goncalves said the flyer was meant to show his progressive values and there was no intent to mislead voters.

Campaign flyers linking New York congresswoman and potential presidential candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to a Providence City Council race are heating up one of the most closely watched local elections this year.

The flyers from Ward 1 City Councilman John Goncalves' reelection campaign showing him with Ocasio-Cortez and Massachusetts U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley do not claim an endorsement from either member of the progressive "Squad" of U.S. House members.

They say "Councilman John Goncalves Delivers Progressive Results" beside a photo of the incumbent between a smiling Ocasio-Cortez and Pressley.

But his Council primary opponent is crying foul and drawing attention to other endorsements on Goncalves' website that appear outdated or erroneous.

"Whether it's fake endorsements or kowtowing to insiders and developers, Ward 1 needs a councilor who we know we can trust," Miguel Youngs, who is challenging Goncalves in the September primary, said Thursday, Aug. 13. "On his website he has misleading endorsements from organizations that haven't even endorsed yet."

And the Ocasio-Cortez campaign is not pleased with Goncalves' use of her image.

"Rep. Ocasio-Cortez does not know the Councilman and has not endorsed his campaign, as this mailer dishonestly tries to imply," Mike Casca, a spokesman for her campaign wrote in a statement to The Journal.

Out-of-date endorsement page taken down

The endorsement page of Goncalves' website listed the Providence Teachers Union, the Providence Sunrise Movement and state Sen. Tiara Mack among those who are backing Goncalves. None have endorsed in the race.

Late Thursday afternoon after The Journal contacted Goncalves, the endorsement page was taken down.

In a phone interview, Goncalves said his website had not been updated in years and the endorsements were old.

Some may be from his last Council campaign. Or maybe even his run for Congress in 2023.

"I believe it is out of date," Goncalves said. "I have been informed of that today."

Goncalves said he has new endorsements this cycle, but has not announced them yet.

'No intent to mislead' about AOC endorsement

Asked whether he thinks voters might imply an endorsement from the Ocasio-Cortez and Pressley mailer, Goncalves said there was no intent to mislead.

"I think the intent was to show our progressive values," he said. "We are not endorsed by either of those campaigns."

Why is this race drawing so much scrutiny?

The Democratic primary in Ward 1 is drawing more attention than usual because of the past year's rent stabilization fight and the mayoral campaign between incumbent Brett Smiley and challenger David Morales.

Goncalves did not vote for rent stabilization and prevented the Council's left-wing majority from overriding Smiley's veto.

Smiley has donated $750 to Goncalves so far this year.

Since rent stabilization went down, ousting Goncalves has become a priority for the Left in Providence, which seeks a veto-proof Council majority.

Goncalves has a major financial advantage in the campaign and had spent $112,000 between the start of the year and Aug. 11, according to filings with the state Board of Elections.

Youngs has spent $11,000 in that period.

Goncalves spending includes $1,250 to Pressley's campaign. He attended a Pressley campaign event in April where the photo in the flyer was taken.

“The congresswoman has not endorsed Councilor Goncalves," a spokesperson for the Pressley campaign said Thursday. "The Councilor approached her at an event and took this photo. Using this photo on campaign materials is misleading and unprofessional and he should set the record straight with voters."