A Republican primary race in Rhode Island for the gubernatorial nomination is too close to call between Elaine Pelino, a former NFL cheerleader and publisher, and Aaron Guckian, a former aide to ex-Gov. Donald Carcieri.
The race, which remained too close to call early Thursday morning, focused on experience and qualifications as Republicans seek a candidate to potentially win over a state that has historically leaned Democratic. In the last gubernatorial election, incumbent Democrat Daniel McKee defeated Republican Ashley Kalus with 57.9% of the vote to Kalus's 38.9%.
Pelino, who pitched herself as the party-line choice, has emphasized merit-based hiring, support for law enforcement and immigration law, and school choice. "This is what I’m going to do. I’m learning. Everything is a learning [curve] because I’m not a lifetime politician. I’m here because I love Rhode Island. And I want them to have a great life. I want them to live in a prosperous and safe place. We should get all the illegals out of here," Pelino stated at a candidate forum.
Before entering politics, Pelino's career included work as a model, in media, and as a cheerleader for the Houston Oilers. In 2011, she founded Tigress magazine.
Guckian, presenting a more centrist platform, has adopted a policy-focused approach. He has pledged to overhaul Rhode Island's permitting processes, improve state service delivery, and tighten the use of state revenue. He expressed concern over the state's budget growth, noting that it increased from $9.3 billion in 2019 to over $14 billion between 2024 and 2026, a nearly 50% rise in five years, even as federal COVID-19 relief funds are set to expire. "Rhode Island made a critical mistake. We built permanent commitments on temporary federal money," Guckian said on his campaign website.
Whichever candidate secures the Republican nomination will face a challenging general election on November 3 against the Democratic incumbent.