David R. Carlin, Jr. (born 1938) is a politician and sociologist. He was a Democratic majority leader of the Rhode Island Senate. His total period of service in the state Senate ran from 1981 to 1992. He made an unsuccessful bid for the Rhode Island's 1st congressional district in 1992. He considers himself to be a "Pro-life Democrat" and supported James Langevin's campaign.
As a writer his books include Can a Catholic Be a Democrat?: How the Party I Loved Became the Enemy of My Religion and The Decline and Fall of the Catholic Church in America.
Carlin is a current professor of sociology and philosophy at the Community College of Rhode Island at Newport.