Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee lost the Democratic primary on Wednesday night to former CVS executive Helena Foulkes, according to projections by The Associated Press. At approximately 8:30 p.m. ET, with about half of the votes tallied, Foulkes held a 62.3% to 37.7% lead over McKee. Because Rhode Island strongly favors Democrats and has not elected a statewide Republican since 2006, Foulkes becomes the heavy favorite heading into November. On the Republican side, Aaron Guckian and Elaine Pelino are competing for their party’s nomination. McKee made history as the nation’s first incumbent governor to lose a primary in eight years. He initially took office after former Governor Gina Raimondo joined the Biden administration as commerce secretary, having previously served as lieutenant governor, and later won a full term in 2022, totaling five years in office. His administration faced significant fallout from the unexpected December 2023 closure of the Washington Bridge due to broken anchor rods. Spanning a vital connection between Providence and its eastern suburbs, the reconstruction project has seen its timeline extended to a November 2028 completion date with an estimated cost of $427 million, up from the original $368 million budget and an initial completion target of this past August. Although Foulkes has never held public office, her family has deep political roots; her uncle and grandfather, Chris and Thomas Dodd, both served as senators, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a college roommate of her mother, endorsed her campaign. After an unsuccessful bid for governor in 2022 where she lost the Democratic primary to McKee, the former pharmacy executive focused her recent platform on major midterm issues like housing and affordability. Drawing on her 25-year corporate background, Foulkes argued she is well-positioned to expand healthcare accessibility, proposed increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates, and suggested a 3% tax on incomes exceeding $1 million to fund the construction of more than 20,000 new homes.
Source: cbsnews.com
