Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee lost the Democratic primary Wednesday to Helena Foulkes, making him the first elected U.S. governor to lose a party primary in 12 years. Foulkes defeated McKee with 62.4 percent of the vote to his 37.6 percent, according to The , which called the race just before 8:30 p.m. McKee’s defeat ends his bid for a second full term and marks the first time in more than 30 years that a sitting Rhode Island governor has lost a primary.
He initially became governor in 2021 after Gina Raimondo left the post to join the Biden administration before winning a full term in 2022. Foulkes, a former senior executive at CVS and Hudson’s Bay, narrowly lost to McKee in a crowded Democratic primary in 2022. Their rematch came as McKee faced criticism over his administration’s handling of the Washington Bridge replacement project after the bridge was abruptly closed over safety concerns in 2023.
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