Rhode Island's incumbent governor loses bid for reelection in Wednesday primary

Update:  
Sept. 9, 11:53 p.m.

Polls closed Wednesday night in the Rhode Island primary election. In the race for Senate, incumbent Sen. Jack Reed easily won the Democratic nomination, earning more than 76% of the vote, according to the Associated Press. He'll face off against GOP challenger, Army veteran Raymond McKay, who was unchallenged for the Republican nomination. 

In the race for governor, former CVS executive Helena Buonanno Foulkes walked away with the Democratic nomination, knocking out incumbent Gov. Dan McKee, who was embroiled in controversy surrounding the 2023 closing of the Washington Bridge. For the Republican ticket, state trade association executive Aaron Guckian and former actress Elaine Pelino were still too close to call Tuesday night, with Guckian a little more than 1 percentage point in the lead and 98% of the votes already counted.

For more up-to-date coverage on those and other races, click here.

A sign directs voters to an entrance for City Hall during early voting for the Rhode Island primary election. Associated Press / Image by David Goldman

Original story:

Rhode Island voters head to the polls Wednesday to pick nominees for the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, state and local offices, and a contentious gubernatorial race.

Ocean State Democratic Gov. Dan McKee is seeking a second full term, but an event surrounding McKee’s handling of the reconstruction of a highly trafficked bridge may derail his reelection bid. McKee closed the Washington Bridge in December 2023 due to structural flaws. The following spring it was determined that the bridge required a full demolition of the westbound side and the replacement bridge isn’t expected to open until late 2028. McKee’s opponent, former Rhode Island–based CVS executive Helena Buonanno Foulkes, criticized the governor’s handling of the situation and released a proposal for preventing similar incidents in the future. In turn, her opponent has criticized her ties to CVS and its alleged role in the opioid crisis.

State trade association executive Aaron Guckian and former actress Elaine Pelino are facing off for the Republican nomination. Guckian has the state party endorsement.

Who else is on the ballot? Incumbent Democratic Sen. Jack Reed faces two challengers for his nomination, and Army veteran Raymond McKay runs uncontested for the Republican seat. Reed has outraised his competition, reaching roughly $4.5 million reported receipts by August 2026—McKay runs closest behind at more than $180,000.

For Rhode Island’s two House seats, Democratic incumbents Rep. Gabe Amo and Seth Magaziner are both seeking reelection. Incumbent Democratic Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos is also seeking reelection and faces four Democratic challengers for her nomination bid. A Republican candidate, John Loughlin, is running unopposed.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report on the June lawsuit by the Department of Justice that accused Rhode Island of granting illegal immigrants in state tuition rates.