Rhode Island's Democratic governor ousted in primary over bridge repair backlash

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee lost his Democratic primary on Wednesday to Helena Foulkes, a former longtime executive at CVS, the Rhode Island-based pharmacy retailer, the Associated Press reported. The defeat makes McKee the first sitting governor in roughly ten years to lose a primary election.

Unlike several other incumbent Democrats defeated this election cycle by younger, more progressive challengers riding a wave of anti-establishment sentiment, McKee's loss stemmed from a different source: public frustration over his handling of repairs to Providence's Washington bridge.

The bridge dispute

The Washington bridge is a major east-west traffic route in Providence, carrying around 100,000 vehicles daily. Throughout her campaign, Foulkes repeatedly criticized McKee for mismanaging the repair project, pointing out that the work has taken far longer than originally promised.

McKee ordered the bridge closed in December 2023 after inspectors discovered serious structural problems. By March 2024, officials determined the structure could not be repaired and would need to be entirely rebuilt. Initial estimates suggested the bridge would reopen to traffic this year, but the completion date has since slipped to November 2028.

A rematch four years in the making

The primary was effectively a rematch of a race four years earlier, when Foulkes—niece of former Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Dodd—finished a close second to McKee in a five-candidate field. McKee went on to win the 2022 general election comfortably, having taken over the governorship after Gina Raimondo stepped down in 2021 to become President Joe Biden's commerce secretary.

Political forecasters consider the seat solidly Democratic, meaning Foulkes now enters the November general election as the clear favorite.