Rhode Island’s governor faces formidable primary opponent and more to watch today

September 9, 2026 / 6:00 AM EDT / CBS News

Rhode Island voters will go to the polls on Wednesday with Gov. Daniel McKee facing a primary challenge from Helena Foulkes, with the latest Emerson College poll having Foulkes ahead by 15 points in a rematch of the 2022 primary, where McKee just narrowly came out on top.

While 25% of voters were undecided at the time of the poll and McKee did gain 5% since May, he is among the nation's least popular governors, ranked as the third lowest approval rating for a governor by Morning Consult. If McKee loses, he will be the first elected sitting governor to lose in a primary since 2014.

Originally serving as lieutenant governor, McKee assumed the position in 2021 after Gina Raimondo was tapped by former President Joe Biden to become secretary of commerce. He was reelected in 2022, but his first full term has been plagued by the Washington Bridge closure.

The westbound bridge which carries traffic from East Providence to Providence was shut down in December 2023 after broken anchor rods were discovered. The rebuild of the bridge is set to cost $427 million and is scheduled to be completed…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/