Helena Foulkes defeated incumbent Daniel McKee in the Democratic primary for governor of Rhode Island on Sept. 9. The last incumbent Rhode Island governor to lose in a primary was Bruce Sundlun (D) in 1994.
The Democratic primary was a rematch between McKee and Foulkes. McKee became governor on March 2, 2021, after then-Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) was confirmed to serve as the U.S. secretary of commerce in President Joe Biden's (D) administration. Foulkes unsuccessfully challenged McKee in the 2022 Democratic gubernatorial primary, with McKee receiving 32.8% of the vote to Foulkes' 29.9%.
Heading into the 2026 primary, 12 News' Ted Nesi wrote in June 2026 that McKee was "facing a formidable challenge from Foulkes ... Foulkes led McKee by 20 points in last month’s 12 News/Emerson College survey and had over $2 million more in her campaign account as of March." On June 20, the Rhode Island Democratic Party voted not to endorse either candidate after neither received a majority of votes at the party's endorsement convention. According to Nesi, "Local historian Steven Frias said he believes McKee is the first governor not to be endorsed by his own party since Rhode Island adopted its modern primary system in 1948."
Leading up to the election, McKee criticized Foulkes for her former role as a CVS Pharmacy executive, with a campaign ad saying that the company "fueled the opioid crisis, prioritizing their own profits." Foulkes criticized McKee's handling of the Washington Bridge closure and rebuild.
According to a June 2026 report, 13 local Democratic Party committees, including four representing Rhode Island's largest cities, endorsed Foulkes, and two endorsed McKee. Attorney General Peter Neronha (D) endorsed Foulkes, while Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos (D) endorsed McKee.
Before entering politics, McKee worked for his family's business, McKee Brothers Oil Corp., and owned and operated a health and fitness business. He served on the Cumberland Town Council from 1992 to 2001 and as mayor of Cumberland from 2001 to 2005 and from 2007 to 2015. McKee was elected lieutenant governor in 2014 and served until he became governor in 2021. McKee ran on his record, with his campaign website saying, "Under his leadership, Rhode Island saw fewer school absences, reduced overdose deaths, and strong economic growth." Looking forward, McKee's campaign website said he was "fighting to protect Rhode Island from Washington's radical agenda, while securing critical resources to improve our state's infrastructure, and his RI2030 Plan shows Rhode Island's best chapter is yet to come."
Foulkes worked for CVS Pharmacy for 25 years, serving as president from 2014 to 2018. She also served as CEO of Hudson's Bay Company from 2018 to 2020 and as executive chair of Follett Higher Education from 2023 to 2026. Foulkes' campaign website said, "We have a state government that is not fixing our biggest challenges, like affordable housing and the Washington Bridge. ... Neighboring states are eyeing our companies and our talent and we are failing to position Rhode Island for future success. ... As governor, Helena will fight back against Donald Trump's attacks on our state, create more good-paying jobs and make living in Rhode Island more affordable for every single Rhode Islander."
Rhode Island's gubernatorial election is one of 36 taking place in 2026. There are currently 26 Republican governors and 24 Democratic governors. Click here for an overview of all 36 gubernatorial elections taking place in 2026.
Heading into the 2026 elections, there are 23 Republican trifectas, 16 Democratic trifectas, and 11 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control. A state government trifecta refers to a situation where one party controls a state's governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Rhode Island has had a Democratic trifecta since 2013.
There are 24 Republican triplexes, 21 Democratic triplexes, and five divided governments where neither party holds triplex control. A state government triplex refers to a situation where the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all members of the same political party.