Dan McKee becomes first sitting governor to lose primary since 2018

Sep 10, 2026

In a historic Rhode Island Democratic primary on September 9, 2026, former CVS executive Helena Foulkes soundly defeated incumbent Governor Dan McKee, winning approximately 62% of the vote. McKee is the first sitting governor to lose a primary since 2018. The race was dominated by voter anger over McKee's handling of the Washington Bridge closure, which has caused severe traffic delays and is not expected to be fully rebuilt until November 2028 at a cost of $427 million. On the same night, progressive energy carried democratic socialist David Morales to victory over incumbent Providence Mayor Brett Smiley.

McKee primary defeat

▪Governor Dan McKee became the first sitting U.S. governor to lose a party primary since Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer lost the Republican nomination in 2018
▪Helena Foulkes won the Democratic primary with approximately 62% of the vote to Governor Dan McKee's 38%
▪Governor Dan McKee's primary defeat marks the first time in more than 30 years that an incumbent Rhode Island governor has lost a primary, since Democrat Bruce Sundlun lost in 1994
▪Former CVS executive Helena Foulkes defeated incumbent Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee in the state's Democratic gubernatorial primary on September 9, 2026

Washington Bridge reconstruction delays

▪The completion date for the Washington Bridge reconstruction has been delayed to November 2028, with estimated costs rising to $427 million from an original $368 million budget
▪Governor Dan McKee defended his handling of the Washington Bridge, maintaining that his decision to close the bridge kept the public safe and that construction is on pace
▪Helena Foulkes leveraged public frustration over the Washington Bridge closure, characterizing the project as a poster child for mismanagement under the McKee administration
▪Governor Dan McKee closed the westbound Washington Bridge in December 2023 after inspectors discovered critical structural failures in an older section of the span

Foulkes CVS executive background

▪Governor Dan McKee attacked Helena Foulkes' corporate record, accusing her of turning a blind eye to the opioid crisis during her executive tenure at CVS
▪Helena Foulkes defended her CVS tenure by stating that the company reduced its opioid dispensing by 40% during her presidency of the pharmacy division
▪Helena Foulkes is the granddaughter of former Connecticut Senator Thomas Dodd and the niece of former Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd
▪Helena Foulkes served as an executive at CVS for 25 years, including as president of the company's pharmacy division from 2014 to 2018

Anti-incumbent voter sentiment

▪Political analysts and campaign observers noted that Governor Dan McKee's defeat was fueled by a national wave of anti-incumbent sentiment and local voter dissatisfaction
▪Governor Dan McKee entered the primary with low approval ratings, which were measured at 24% in an August 2026 University of New Hampshire poll

Providence mayoral race upset

▪Rhode Island state Representative David Morales, a democratic socialist endorsed by Bernie Sanders, defeated incumbent Providence Mayor Brett Smiley in the Democratic primary on September 9, 2026
▪David Morales campaigned on a progressive platform that included capping rent hikes, expanding affordable housing, and increasing taxes on corporate landlords and polluters

Debatable claims

▪Helena Foulkes bears responsibility for CVS's role in the opioid crisis
▪Governor McKee's management of the Washington Bridge reconstruction was a failure