Incumbent Democratic Gov. Daniel McKee of Rhode Island suffered a devastating loss in his primary race on Wednesday, losing by almost 25 points.
As of Thursday morning, business executive Helena Foulkes had 62.4 percent of the vote to McKee’s 37.6 percent, with over 97 percent of the vote counted, according to NBC News.
Foulkes gained a strong lead early in the night and never looked back.
This is the first time in over 30 years that a sitting Rhode Island governor has been defeated in their primary, PBS reported.
Foulkes has served as an executive with the pharmaceutical chain CVS and with retailer Hudson’s Bay.
This race marked a rematch from 2022, when Foulkes ran against McKee in the Democratic primary but failed to secure the nomination, losing by only a few thousand votes.
“Tonight, we may have won the Democratic primary for governor, but let me be clear about what happens next: You will have a governor for everyone,” she told a crowd of supporters in Providence during her victory speech on Wednesday.
“Because there is so much work that needs to be done, and we need to do this together,” Foulkes added.
In his concession speech, McKee pledged to work with Foulkes to achieve a “smooth transition” as she prepares to face the GOP nominee in November.
“This is something that I think is difficult to deal with, but we just got to hold our heads high,” McKee said, adding that he’s proud “because I know the work we’ve done together is really special.”
The Republican primary is still up for grabs between Aaron Guckian and Elaine Pelino.
Guckian is clinging to a slight lead with 50.6 percent to Pelino’s 49.4 percent, with almost 98 percent of the vote counted. It remains too close to call.
Guckian is a state trade association executive and was the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor back in 2022. He also received a key endorsement from the state Republican party, according to KFOX-TV.
Pelino, on the other hand, is a former actress and first-time political candidate.
McKee wasn’t the only incumbent to lose in Rhode Island on Wednesday.
Providence’s Democratic Mayor Brett Smiley, 47, lost his reelection bid to David Morales, 27, a young democratic socialist who garnered the endorsement of Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Morales was endorsed by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, as well, along with several labor union figures, helping to put him over the top.
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