United States of America

Rhode Island Gov. McKee Loses Democratic Primary

Did McKee justifiably lose for failing at a basic infrastructure issue or has he been punished for putting safety first?

Published SEP 10

Rhode Island Gov. McKee Loses Democratic Primary

Story

Above: Helena Foulkes in 2019. Image credit: Jeff Fried/WWD/Penske Media/Getty Images

The Facts

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee lost the Democratic primary Wednesday to former CVS executive Helena Buonanno Foulkes, who took 62.4% of the vote to McKee's 37.6%, according to unofficial Board of Elections results with all precincts reporting.
Newsweek
The Providence Journal
McKee is the first sitting governor in the United States to lose a primary since Kansas Republican Jeff Colyer in 2018, and the first Rhode Island governor to lose one since Bruce Sundlun was defeated by state Sen. Myrth York in 1994.
The Hill
Newsweek
The New York Times
Much of the campaign centered on the westbound Washington Bridge, which closed in December 2023 after engineers found critical structural flaws. Officials now estimate the replacement span will not open to traffic until November 2028.
Politico
The Epoch Times
An Emerson College poll in August found 63% of likely Rhode Island voters disapproved of McKee's handling of the bridge situation, while 18% approved. Foulkes outspent him on advertising by a 3-to-1 margin, according to AdImpact.
The Hill
NBC
Also Wednesday in Rhode Island, Sen. Jack Reed won the Democratic Senate nomination with about 76% of the vote, defeating Connor Burbridge at 14% and Luis Daniel Munoz at 9.8%. The 76-year-old, first elected in 1996, will face Republican Ray McKay on Nov. 3.
The Hill
Rhode Island Current

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

A governor who lets a major bridge sit closed for nearly three years while commuters crawl through detours has no business asking for another term. Rhode Island transit riders got cuts and excuses instead of competence, and McKee's disapproval rating on the mess says everything. Voters finally did what some blue-state governments wouldn't — hold someone accountable for failing at the basics.

M.A. Rothman on X

The Transit Guy on X

Narrative B

Closing the Washington Bridge was the right call to keep people safe, and punishing a governor for refusing to gamble with lives is backwards. McKee's record speaks louder than traffic — more money for schools, including colleges, every budget year; a millionaires tax funding public education; and the strongest wage package state health workers have seen in years. McKee's results should've counted for more.