Incumbent Rhode Island governor projected to lose Democratic primary to former CVS executive

Former CVS executive Helena Foulkes defeated Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee in the Democratic primary on Wednesday night, The Associated Press projects. 

With roughly half of all votes counted at around 8:30 p.m. ET, Foulkes led McKee 62.3% to 37.7%.

Rhode Island is a reliably Democratic state, and hasn’t elected a Republican statewide since 2006, making Foulkes the favorite to win in November. Aaron Guckian and Elaine Pelino are facing off for the Republican nomination.

McKee is the first sitting governor anywhere in the country to lose a primary in eight years. McKee, previously the lieutenant governor, was elevated to the top job after former Gov. Gina Raimondo became commerce secretary during the Biden administration. He was elected for a full term in 2022 and has served as governor for five years.

McKee’s first full term has been plagued by the closure of the Washington Bridge, which was shut down in December 2023 after broken anchor rods were discovered. Rebuilding the bridge — a crucial link between the state capital of Providence and its eastern suburbs — is now estimated to cost $427 million and is scheduled to be completed in November 2028. The original price tag for the project was $368 million and was supposed to be finished this past August. 

Foulkes has never served in public office, but she has political ties. Her uncle and grandfather, Chris and Thomas Dodd, were both senators, and she was endorsed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was her mother’s college roommate. She ran for governor in 2022 but lost to McKee in the Democratic primary.

The former CVS pharmacy executive has campaigned on housing and affordability, some of the most resonant issues in the midterm elections. She has cited her 25-year career as evidence that she can make healthcare more accessible. Foulkes has pitched raising Medicaid reimbursement rates, and she’s proposed a tax on millionaires, which would allot money to build over 20,000 homes by adding an additional 3% tax on incomes over $1 million.