Rhode Island voters are selecting nominees across federal, state and local offices in a primary election. The most prominent contest is the Democratic gubernatorial primary, where Gov. Dan McKee is seeking renomination for a second full term against Helena Buonanno Foulkes, a former executive at Rhode Island-based CVS.
McKee initially assumed the governorship in March 2021 when then-Gov. Gina Raimondo departed to become U.S. commerce secretary, then won election to a full term in 2022 with approximately 58% of the general election vote. He is now at risk of becoming the first elected governor nationally since 2014 to lose renomination, and the first in Rhode Island since 1994. Foulkes finished a close second to McKee in the 2022 Democratic primary with 29.9% to his 32.8%.
A central campaign issue has been McKee’s handling of the Washington Bridge reconstruction project connecting Providence and East Providence, which carries 100,000 vehicles daily. The westbound bridge was closed in December 2023 following discovery of critical structural flaws, and authorities determined in March 2024 that demolition and replacement would be necessary. Initial estimates projected reopening this year, but the timeline has been extended to November 2028. Additionally, campaign materials have referenced a 2024 joint investigation by the state attorney general and state police that found McKee “personally and directly intervened” in awarding a multimillion-dollar state contract, though investigators concluded he did not violate bribery or campaign finance laws. State Attorney General Peter Neronha, who conducted that investigation, endorsed Foulkes in March. McKee has countered by emphasizing Foulkes’ role at CVS and the company’s alleged connection to the opioid crisis.
According to state campaign finance records, Foulkes has raised and spent nearly double McKee’s totals. Independent polling from the University of New Hampshire indicates Foulkes has maintained a lead throughout the year, though substantial numbers of voters remain undecided. In the 2022 primary, McKee carried most of the state’s most populous cities including Warwick, Cranston, East Providence and Pawtucket, while Providence went to then-Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea. Foulkes performed strongest in towns and cities around Narragansett Bay.
On the Republican side, state trade association executive Aaron Guckian and actress Elaine Pelino are competing for the nomination. Guckian won the 2022 Republican primary for lieutenant governor with roughly 68% of the vote and has received the state party’s endorsement. No Republican gubernatorial nominee in Rhode Island has exceeded 39% of the vote in the general election over the past two decades.
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