Incumbent Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee won his Democratic primary Tuesday night, defeating his rivals in the intraparty battle for governor.
Although technically the incumbent, McKee was never elected to the post and had instead been elevated from his lieutenant governor perch after his predecessor stepped down. Despite trailing his rival, Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, in key polling, McKee managed to eke out a win and will face Republican nominee Ashley Kalus in the fall.
FILL-IN RHODE ISLAND GOV. DAN MCKEE COULD LOSE SEPT. 13 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY: POLL
As the primary contest entered the home stretch, former CVS executive Helena Foulkes garnered momentum, enjoying the backing of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the Boston Globe, and the state’s former COVID-19 guru Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott. Despite trailing in the polls, usually hovering around third place, Foulkes managed to clinch a second-place finish on election night, close behind McKee.
Typical issues such as abortion, healthcare, and the environment dominated the Democratic primary race to helm the nation’s smallest state. The post had been vacated by former Gov. Gina Raimondo, who left to serve as the secretary of commerce in the Biden administration.
Following her departure, McKee, then-lieutenant governor, took over the role in 2021. He was widely speculated to have had a rocky relationship with his predecessor, barely having a presence during her COVID-19 press spectacles. Raimondo, who stepped down during her second term as governor, remained agnostic throughout the primary.
Under Rhode Island law, the governor is limited to two consecutive terms in office, so McKee’s ascension seemingly upended plans from others eyeing the governorship. Gorbea, for instance, announced her plans to vie for governor in May 2021.
Throughout the campaign, she traded barbs with McKee on issues ranging from abortion to the environment, questioning his progressive bona fides. McKee was endorsed by the state Democratic Party.
She had become the first Hispanic person propelled to statewide office in New England in 2015 after winning the secretary of state post.
The pair faced their fair share of controversy in the waning days of the campaign. For example, Gorbea recently garnered negative headlines amid reports that voting machines had multiple errors during voting, including incorrect names on Spanish ballots.
Meanwhile, McKee recently had a war of words with CVS, which is headquartered in the state, over an ad insinuating the company played a role in the opioid crisis.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Although Rhode Island is a heavily Democratic-leaning state, the party has not always held the governorship. Raimondo’s predecessor, Lincoln Chafee, won office as an independent, and the previous Republican challenger, Allan Fung, ran tight races with Raimondo in the battle for governor. He is now running for Congress.
