Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee lost his Democratic primary to former CVS executive Helena Foulkes, NBC News projects, after facing a significant spending disadvantage and voter discontent with his tenure. In an election season that has seen a wave of anti-incumbent energy, McKee, 75, becomes the first governor to fall in a primary this year, and the first in eight years. Public polls had shown McKee, who was running for a second full term, trailing by double digits heading into Tuesday. And Foulkes, 62, outspent him on the airwaves by a 3-to-1 margin, according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact. The primary was a rematch of 2022, when Foulkes narrowly lost to McKee, who had replaced then-Gov. Gina Raimaondo after being selected for President Joe Biden’s cabinet in 2021. McKee’s decision in 2023 to close the Washington Bridge, a commuter road in Providence, hung over her campaign. The bridge’s closure came after state engineers discovered major structural problems that could have caused it to collapse. Three years later, the bridge is still under construction. An Emerson College poll in August found that 63% of likely Rhode Island voters disapproved of McKee’s handling of the Washington Bridge, and only 18% said they approved. In his campaign ads, Foulkes said the state had “the worst roads and bridges.” He also touted his plans to boost the state’s economy and housing market. McKee defended his decision to close the bridge by saying he prioritized safety over politics and said construction will be completed in 2028. The last time a sitting governor lost a primary was in 2018, when Kansas Republican Jeff Colyer was defeated by then-Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who was backed by President Donald Trump. Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii was the last Democratic governor to lose in a primary in 2014, losing by 35 points to David Ige, who was a state senator at the time. A total of 11 House members and two senators have lost primaries in 2026. Given the heavy focus on local issues, the Rhode Island primary did not attract the level of national attention that other Democratic races – which focused on fierce ideological and generational battles – across the country have attracted this year. Still, Foulkes has connections to powerful Democrats. His uncle and grandfather, Thomas Dodd and Chris Dodd, were both U.S. senators from Connecticut. And former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was Foulkes’ mother’s college roommate, campaigned for him. Foulkes will now be the big favorite in the blue state’s general election. Kamala Harris won by nearly 14 points in the 2024 presidential election, and Rhode Island has not elected a Republican governor since 2010.
