Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee has lost the Democratic primary to former CVS executive Helena Foulkes, becoming the first governor to fall in a primary this year and the first in eight years. Foulkes, who narrowly lost to McKee in 2022, secured victory after outspending him on advertising by a 3-to-1 margin, according to AdImpact. A key issue in the race was the nearly three-year partial closure of the Washington Bridge in Providence, prompted by major structural problems discovered in 2023. An August Emerson College poll found 63% of likely Rhode Island voters disapproved of McKee’s handling of the bridge closure, while Foulkes campaigned on a platform of improving the state’s infrastructure and economy. McKee defended his decision to close the bridge as prioritizing safety and projected completion by 2028. Foulkes characterized the project as an example of mismanagement and argued that state government doesn’t serve most Rhode Islanders. The governor’s approval rating stood at 24% last month, according to a University of New Hampshire poll, with Foulkes leading by 38 points. Foulkes will now be the strong favorite in the general election in the reliably blue state, which has not elected a Republican governor since 2010. Her connections to prominent Democrats include her uncle and grandfather, former U.S. Senators Thomas and Chris Dodd, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who campaigned for her.
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