Rhode Island governor loses primary amid anger over bridge repairs

Key facts

• Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee lost his Democratic primary to Helena Foulkes.
• McKee is the first sitting governor to lose a primary in nearly a decade.
• Foulkes, a former CVS executive, criticized McKee's handling of Washington Bridge repairs.
• The Washington Bridge was closed in December 2023 due to structural problems.
• The bridge's repair was deemed unfeasible, leading to a rebuild project with a completion date of November 2028.
• Foulkes was a close second to McKee in a five-way contest four years ago.

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee lost his Democratic primary on Wednesday to Helena Foulkes, a former executive at CVS. This marks the first time a sitting governor has lost a primary election in nearly a decade. The contest was largely driven by voter frustration over the handling of repairs to the Washington Bridge, a major traffic artery in Providence.

Foulkes, who had previously run a close second to McKee in a five-way primary four years ago, campaigned on a platform that included criticism of McKee's management of the bridge's repair work. Inspectors discovered significant structural issues in December 2023, leading to the bridge's closure. By March 2024, officials determined that the bridge could not be repaired and would require a full rebuild. The project's completion, initially estimated for this year, has now been pushed back to November 2028.

Mckee had assumed the governorship after Gina Raimondo stepped down to become US commerce secretary in 2021. The seat is considered strongly Democratic, giving Foulkes a significant advantage in the upcoming general election.