Helena Foulkes Beats Gov. McKee

Former CVS executive Helena Foulkes won Rhode Island’s Democratic primary for governor Wednesday, defeating incumbent Gov. Dan McKee 62.3% to 37.7% with roughly half the vote counted around 8:30 p.m. ET. The result makes McKee the first sitting governor in any state to lose a party primary since 2018 and ends his bid for a second full term. Foulkes’ campaign capitalized on voter frustration over the 2023 closure of the westbound lanes of Providence’s Washington Bridge, a commuter route whose shutdown caused prolonged traffic disruption.