PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Republican mayoral candidate David Talan is seeking support from voters who backed Mayor Brett Smiley, pitching himself as a counter to Democratic nominee David Morales ahead of November’s general election. Morales defeated Smiley in a surprise Democratic primary victory. Talan, a retired engineer who has run for mayor twice before, said he believes Morales’ democratic socialist views could draw moderate Democrats to his campaign. “If Smiley had won the nomination, I really had no chance of winning then, because pretty much I agreed with Smiley on almost everything,” Talan said in an interview. He said voters should choose the candidate they agree with most rather than vote a straight party line. Talan said the state Republican chairman encouraged him to describe his candidacy as a “firewall” against socialism. He has also criticized Morales over his past support for defunding police, a position Morales has since walked back. Talan said he would maintain current police funding and staffing. The candidates differ on housing, too. Morales supports rent control; Talan opposes it and instead favors building on vacant lots, converting unused buildings into housing and easing zoning and licensing rules. He also wants colleges to build more dormitories to ease pressure on the rental market. Talan raised concerns about Morales’ pro-Palestinian views and whether he would protect Jewish residents from antisemitism. Asked whether he believed Morales posed a threat to Jewish residents, Talan replied, “Oh, absolutely.” The remarks reflected Talan’s stated concerns about his opponent; no supporting evidence for that accusation was cited in the interview. Talan said he voted for Donald Trump in all three of Trump’s presidential campaigns and supports efforts to reduce government and strengthen border security. He also said he agrees with restrictions Smiley placed on city interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, adding that he does not believe ICE behaves professionally. On education, Talan said he would restore a neighborhood-school option for families while preserving other school choices. He estimated that reducing administrative costs and having more students walk to nearby schools could save $10 million to $20 million in the school budget. Talan acknowledged that winning as a Republican in Providence would be difficult. He said the city has not elected a Republican mayor since Buddy Cianci won in the late 1970s, and that the last Republican to win any race in the city did so more than 30 years ago. Talan has also been involved with Providence Little League for more than 50 years.