Gov. Dan McKee fends off stiff competitors in Rhode Island gubernatorial main

Incumbent Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee received his Democratic main Tuesday evening, defeating his rivals within the intraparty battle for governor.

Though technically the incumbent, McKee was by no means elected to the publish and had as a substitute been elevated from his lieutenant governor perch after his predecessor stepped down. Regardless of trailing his rival, Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, in key polling, McKee managed to eke out a win and can face Republican nominee Ashley Kalus within the fall.

FILL-IN RHODE ISLAND GOV. DAN MCKEE COULD LOSE SEPT. 13 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY: POLL

As the first contest entered the house stretch, former CVS government Helena Foulkes garnered momentum, having fun with the backing of Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the Boston Globe, and the state's former COVID-19 guru Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott. Regardless of trailing within the polls, often hovering round third place, Foulkes managed to clinch a second-place end on election evening, shut behind McKee.

Typical points reminiscent of abortion, healthcare, and the surroundings dominated the Democratic main race to helm the nation's smallest state. The publish had been vacated by former Gov. Gina Raimondo, who left to function the secretary of commerce within the Biden administration.

Following her departure, McKee, then-lieutenant governor, took over the function in 2021. He was extensively purported to have had a rocky relationship together with his predecessor, barely having a presence throughout her COVID-19 press spectacles. Raimondo, who stepped down throughout her second time period as governor, remained agnostic all through the first.

Below Rhode Island regulation, the governor is proscribed to 2 consecutive phrases in workplace, so McKee's ascension seemingly upended plans from others eyeing the governorship. Gorbea, as an illustration, introduced her plans to vie for governor in Could 2021.

All through the marketing campaign, she traded barbs with McKee on points starting from abortion to the surroundings, questioning his progressive bona fides. McKee was endorsed by the state Democratic Celebration.

She had develop into the primary Hispanic individual propelled to statewide workplace in New England in 2015 after successful the secretary of state publish.

The pair confronted their fair proportion of controversy within the waning days of the marketing campaign. For instance, Gorbea not too long ago garnered unfavorable headlines amid studies that voting machines had a number of errors throughout voting, together with incorrect names on Spanish ballots.

In the meantime, McKee not too long ago had a confrontation with CVS, which is headquartered within the state, over an advert insinuating the corporate performed a job within the opioid disaster.

Though Rhode Island is a closely Democratic-leaning state, the social gathering has not all the time held the governorship. Raimondo's predecessor, Lincoln Chafee, received workplace as an unbiased, and the earlier Republican challenger, Allan Fung, ran tight races with Raimondo within the battle for governor. He's now working for Congress.