Rhode Island governor ousted in Democratic primary

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee is projected to lose his reelection bid to former CVS executive Helena Foulkes in the Democratic primary for Rhode Island, according to Decision Desk HQ. (DDHQ).

Foulkes led McKee by nearly 25 percentage points — 62 percent to nearly 38 percent — per DDHQ.

It’s the second time the pair have faced off against each other for Rhode Island’s Democratic primary for governor. McKee narrowly beat Foulkes in the 2022 primary.

The governor, who’s served in the role since 2021 after former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was tapped to join the Biden administration, faced intense scrutiny and frustration over his administration’s handling of the closure and rebuilding of the state’s Washington Bridge.

The bridge, which ran from Providence to East Providence, was closed in 2023 after engineers spotted defects that they worried could cause the infrastructure to collapse.

The governor has defended his administration’s handling of the bridge closure, pointing out that the demolition finished earlier than expected. His administration says the bridge is expected to reopen by 2028.

Polling heading into the Democratic primary suggested that his response may not have been enough to placate voters, with Foulkes leading the incumbent.

McKee, meanwhile, attacked Foulkes over CVS and its ties to the opioid epidemic. The company reached a settlement in 2022 that agrees to pay about $5 billion to states in litigation related to the opioid crisis.

Foulkes has suggested that the retailer cracked down hard against “pill mill” doctors and that there was an “almost 40 percent reduction in opioids” during her tenure.

The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates the Rhode Island governor’s seat “solid Democrat,” making Foulkes the favorite to win in November.