Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee lost the Democratic primary to former CVS executive Helena Foulkes, becoming the first sitting US governor since 2018 to lose a primary.
Foulkes made criticism of McKee’s handling of the troubled Washington Bridge a central part of her campaign.
Foulkes, who also challenged McKee in the 2022 Democratic primary, will advance to the November general election.
Who Is Dan McKee? Rhode Island Governor Loses Democratic Primary, First Sitting Governor To Do So Since 2018
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee lost the Democratic primary to Helena Foulkes, becoming the first sitting US governor since 2018 to be denied his party’s renomination
Summary
Rhode Island Democratic Governor Dan McKee has lost his party’s primary to former CVS executive Helena Foulkes, becoming the first sitting US governor since 2018 to be denied renomination.
Foulkes defeated McKee on Wednesday in a rematch of their closely fought 2022 Democratic primary, when McKee narrowly beat her. The result means Foulkes will advance to the November general election.
Fox News said the race broke that pattern and handed the party a rare internal upset. The loss also carries wider political weight.
Why Did Dan McKee Lose The Democratic Primary?
Fox News reported that the incumbent governor lost the Democratic primary, becoming the first sitting governor to suffer such a loss in 10 years. That makes the outcome unusual in modern gubernatorial politics, where incumbents often enjoy party backing, donor support and a clear organisational edge.
The campaign focused heavily on McKee’s handling of the Washington Bridge, a major route connecting Providence with communities to the east and Massachusetts. The bridge was closed in 2023 after officials identified serious structural problems, and its reconstruction has faced delays.
Foulkes made the bridge project a central part of her campaign, portraying it as an example of mismanagement under McKee. McKee defended the decision to close the bridge, arguing that it was necessary for safety, and pointed to federal funding and progress on the reconstruction.
McKee, 75, had also faced weak approval ratings. A University of New Hampshire poll cited by the New York Post put his approval at 24% and showed Foulkes with a 38-point lead in the primary.
The defeat now shifts attention to the party nominee who emerged from the contest and to what the result says about voter mood inside the Democratic base. Even without broader national results on the same ballot, the upset gives the party a fresh warning about internal discontent.
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Who Is Helena Foulkes And What Happens Next?
A decade is a long gap. Fox News reported that no sitting governor had lost a primary in the past 10 years before this result.
Foulkes is a former senior executive at CVS Health and former CEO of Hudson’s Bay Company. She currently serves on the board of Costco. Her victory marks her second run for the Rhode Island governorship after finishing second to McKee in the 2022 Democratic primary.
Foulkes will face the winner of the Republican primary in November. Rhode Island is considered a strongly Democratic state, giving the Democratic nominee a significant advantage in the general election.
McKee became governor in 2021 after Gina Raimondo left the post to become US Commerce Secretary. He won his first full term in 2022.
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