10
Loading video...
By Alex Backus
Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee lost the Democratic primary Wednesday to Helena Foulkes, making him the first elected U.S. governor to lose a party primary in 12 years.
Foulkes defeated McKee with 62.4 percent of the vote to his 37.6 percent, according to The Associated Press, which called the race just before 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
McKee’s defeat comes as progressive challengers have knocked off several Democratic incumbents in primaries this year. But in this race, the troubled Washington Bridge emerged as a defining issue.
Read More on Politics
“This is something that I think is difficult to deal with, but we just got to hold our heads high,” McKee said in his concession speech Wednesday night, vowing to work with Foulkes to ensure a “smooth transition.”
McKee’s defeat ends his bid for a second full term.
...
Wednesday marked the second time Foulkes and McKee faced off in a Democratic primary. Foulkes, a former senior executive at CVS and Hudson’s Bay, narrowly lost to McKee in a crowded primary field in 2022.
Their rematch came as McKee faced criticism over his administration’s handling of the Washington Bridge replacement project after its westbound side was abruptly closed over safety concerns in 2023.
Foulkes made frustration over the cost and pace of the project a central part of her case against McKee, arguing that his administration was not working for most Rhode Islanders.
“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,” Foulkes told supporters during her victory speech in Providence. “Because there is so much work that needs to be done, and we need to do this together.”
Newsweek reached out to the Foulkes and McKee campaigns via email for additional comment Wednesday night.
...
McKee became governor in 2021 after then-Governor Gina Raimondo left office to become U.S. commerce secretary. He won a full term in 2022 after narrowly defeating Foulkes and several other candidates in the Democratic primary.
Incumbent governors rarely lose party primaries. The last elected governor to lose renomination was Hawaii Democrat Neil Abercrombie in 2014. The last sitting governor of any kind to lose a primary was Kansas Republican Jeff Colyer in 2018, who had assumed the governorship after previously being elected lieutenant governor.
McKee is also the first sitting Rhode Island governor to lose a primary in more than 30 years. Democrat Bruce Sundlun was defeated by state Senator Myrth York in the 1994 Democratic primary while seeking a third term.
The Washington Bridge, which carries Interstate 195 over the Seekonk River and links Providence with communities to the east, became a major issue after its westbound side was abruptly closed in 2023 when state officials identified a “critical failure.” Its replacement has taken longer than initially expected, with lanes on the new bridge now scheduled to open in 2028.
McKee has defended his administration’s handling of the bridge, arguing that the closure protected public safety. Foulkes, meanwhile, pointed to the delays and disruption as evidence that Rhode Island needed a change in leadership.
Foulkes spent 25 years at CVS and eventually became president of the company’s pharmacy division before later serving as chief executive of Hudson’s Bay. Her grandfather and uncle, Thomas and Chris Dodd, both served as Democratic U.S. senators from Connecticut.
Foulkes will face the winner of the Republican gubernatorial primary between Aaron Guckian and Elaine Pelino in November. As of 10:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, votes were still being counted and the race had not been called.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gray R. Thomas
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines