Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee loses Democratic primary to former CVS executive

Published September 9, 2026 9:20pm ET



Gov. Dan McKee (D-RI) on Wednesday lost Rhode Island’s Democratic primary to former CVS executive Helena Buonanno Foulkes, making him the first incumbent governor in years nationwide to lose renomination.

Just before 9 p.m., Foulkes was leading McKee 62.5% to 37.5% with 80% of the votes counted, according to the Associated Press. The development comes after Foulkes placed a close second behind McKee in a five-way primary in 2022. Wednesday’s results were not unexpected, as she had held a wide lead in polls leading up to the election.

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