Incumbent Gov. Dan McKee faces tight Democratic primary challenge in Rhode Island

Governor Dan McKee, first elected in 2022 after succeeding Gina Raimondo, is seeking a second full term but faces a formidable Democratic primary challenger, former CVS executive Helena Buonanno Foulkes, who finished a close second in the 2022 contest. The campaign highlights criticism of McKee’s oversight of the Washington Bridge project, whose reopening has been delayed from 2024 to November 2028, and a joint investigation by Attorney General Peter Neronha and state police that found McKee personally intervened in a multimillion-dollar contract, though no bribery violations were identified.

Foulkes, the niece of ex-Senator Chris Dodd, has nearly doubled McKee’s fundraising and maintains a lead in University of New Hampshire polls, though many voters remain undecided. In the Republican primary, state trade association executive Aaron Guckian and former actress Elaine Pelino compete, with the party endorsing Guckian. Approximately 30,000 Democratic and 3,500 Republican ballots have already been cast, and results will be reported throughout the night.