Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee has lost his Democratic gubernatorial primary, a rare defeat for an incumbent that makes him the first sitting governor since 2018 to not secure renomination. He was defeated by former CVS executive Helena Foulkes in a contest that mirrored the state’s 2022 primary, which McKee had narrowly won.
Mckee’s approval rating had been among the lowest of U.S. governors, a factor that polls indicated was influenced by public frustration over the prolonged partial closure of the Washington Bridge. This critical infrastructure connects Providence to its eastern suburbs and Massachusetts and serves as a major route to Cape Cod during summer months.
The pace of repairs and the handling of the Washington Bridge project, which McKee ordered closed in 2023 due to safety concerns, emerged as a central issue in the race. McKee defended his administration's actions, stating in a campaign ad, "The Washington Bridge was a disaster. I shut it down to keep us safe, secured federal funding and we’re on pace to complete the bridge ahead of schedule." Foulkes, however, characterized the bridge project as "a poster child for mismanagement" under McKee’s leadership.
Foulkes, whose political lineage includes her grandfather and uncle, Thomas and Chris Dodd, both former Connecticut senators, capitalized on public dissatisfaction with the bridge's cost and timeline. She argued that McKee's administration was not effectively serving most Rhode Islanders, telling the Associated Press, "People feel like state government just works with a powerful few. They don’t think it’s working for them." Mckee attempted to counter Foulkes's narrative by portraying her as an out-of-touch elite, questioning her engagement with the opioid crisis during her 25 years at CVS. He asserted his own credibility with working people.
Recent polling, including a University of New Hampshire poll last month, showed McKee’s approval rating at 24%. The same poll indicated Foulkes held a substantial 38-point lead in the primary race.
Mckee's loss positions him as the first elected governor to lose a primary since Hawaii Democrat Neil Abercrombie in 2014. The last sitting governor to be unseated in a primary was Kansas Republican Jeff Colyer, who assumed the governorship from the lieutenant role after Sam Brownback's resignation and subsequently lost his primary in 2018.