José F. Batista was first elected on November 3, 2020 to represent the people of District 12 in Providence's South Side and Washington Park neighborhoods. Representative Batista has been a leader in advocating for criminal justice reform, including bills to reform policing and drug laws. His work also includes efforts for economic and environmental justice, as well as fair, safe and affordable housing. Born April 15, 1988, and a life-long resident of South Providence, Representative Batista is the oldest of six children of immigrants from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. He attended Providence Public Schools from K-12 and graduated from Classical High School in 2006, Bryant University in 2011, and Roger Williams University School of Law in 2014. He has served as an adjunct professor at Bryant University since 2019 and at RWU Law since 2022. Representative Batista began his legal career at the Rhode Island Public Defender and opened a solo law practice in South Providence in 2016. He formerly served as assistant city solicitor for the City of Central Falls. Representative Batista graduated as a member of the Rho II class of Leadership Rhode Island in 2021.
