Incumbent Democratic Governor Loses Primary by a Stunning 25 Points
Rhode Island Democratic Governor Daniel McKee experienced a critically important defeat in his primary race, losing to Helena Foulkes by nearly 25 points. Foulkes secured over 62% of the vote with most ballots counted, marking the first primary defeat of a sitting Rhode Island governor in over three decades. A former CVS executive and retailer, Foulkes had previously challenged McKee in 2022, narrowly losing than. She emphasized unity and continued work for all residents after her victory. McKee conceded and committed to a smooth transition as he plans to collaborate with Foulkes for the upcoming general election.Meanwhile, the Rhode Island Republican primary remains unresolved, with Aaron Guckian narrowly leading Elaine Pelino. Guckian, a former GOP candidate and trade association leader, holds a slight advantage. In Providence, incumbent Democratic Mayor Brett Smiley lost his re-election bid to young democratic socialist David Morales, who received endorsements from prominent progressives and labor unions.
Incumbent Democratic Gov. Daniel McKee of Rhode Island suffered a devastating loss in his primary race on Wednesday, losing by almost 25 points.
As of Thursday morning, business executive Helena Foulkes had 62.4 percent of the vote to McKee’s 37.6 percent, with over 97 percent of the vote counted, according to NBC News.
Foulkes gained a strong lead early in the night and never looked back.
This is the first time in over 30 years that a sitting Rhode Island governor has been defeated in their primary, PBS reported.
Foulkes has served as an executive with the pharmaceutical chain CVS and with retailer Hudson’s Bay.
This race marked a rematch from 2022, when Foulkes ran against McKee in the Democratic primary but failed to secure the nomination, losing by only a few thousand votes.
“Tonight, we may have won the Democratic primary for governor, but let me be clear about what happens next: You will have a governor for everyone,” she told a crowd of supporters in Providence during her victory speech on Wednesday.
“Because there is so much work that needs to be done, and we need to do this together,” Foulkes added.
In his concession speech, McKee pledged to work with Foulkes to achieve a “smooth transition” as she prepares to face the GOP nominee in November.
“This is something that I think is difficult to deal with, but we just got to hold our heads high,” McKee said, adding that he’s proud “because I know the work we’ve done together is really special.”
The Republican primary is still up for grabs between Aaron Guckian and Elaine Pelino.
Guckian is clinging to a slight lead with 50.6 percent to Pelino’s 49.4 percent, with almost 98 percent of the vote counted. It remains too close to call.
Guckian is a state trade association executive and was the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor back in 2022. He also received a key endorsement from the state Republican party, according to KFOX-TV.
Pelino, on the other hand, is a former actress and first-time political candidate.
McKee wasn’t the only incumbent to lose in Rhode Island on Wednesday.
Providence’s Democratic Mayor Brett Smiley, 47, lost his reelection bid to David Morales, 27, a young democratic socialist who garnered the endorsement of Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Morales was endorsed by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, as well, along with several labor union figures, helping to put him over the top.
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