Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee just became the first sitting governor in the country to lose a primary this cycle — and he didn't lose close.
Why it matters: Former CVS executive Helena Foulkes beat McKee 62.5% to 37.5% with 80% of the vote counted, per the Associated Press — a blowout that signals real vulnerability for Democratic incumbents heading into the 2026 midterms.
Driving the news:
McKee, who became governor in 2021 when Gina Raimondo left for Commerce Secretary, lost to Foulkes in a primary rematch — she placed second to him in a five-candidate field back in 2022.
Foulkes hammered McKee over his handling of the Washington Bridge's abrupt December 2023 closure; McKee countered by casting her as an out-of-touch corporate exec, pointing to her CVS tenure amid the company's opioid controversies.
Foulkes now advances as the heavy favorite in November against Republican nominee Aaron Guckian or Elaine Pelino. Fox News notes it's the first sitting-governor primary loss nationally since Kansas Republican Jeff Colyer's in 2018.
By the numbers:
62.5% to 37.5% — McKee's margin of defeat with 80% of the vote counted, per the AP.
Fewer than 400 votes separated Jeff Colyer from winning his 2018 Kansas primary, the last time a sitting governor lost one before McKee. This wasn't that kind of nail-biter.
McKee beat Foulkes by just a few points in a five-candidate field in 2022. In their head-to-head rematch, it wasn't competitive.
The other side: Rhode Island's deep Democratic lean takes some of the sting out of the history McKee just made. The Epoch Times notes that whoever wins the Republican nomination faces an uphill climb in the deep-blue state regardless of which Democrat is on the ballot — meaning September's primary, not November's general election, was the real contest.
What's next:
Foulkes faces Republican nominee Aaron Guckian or Elaine Pelino in November, starting as a heavy favorite in a state Democrats have carried for decades.
McKee's term runs through January, when his successor — expected to be Foulkes — would be sworn in.
The bottom line: A rare, lopsided primary defeat for a sitting governor doubles as an early data point for how exposed other Democratic incumbents could be heading into 2026's midterms.
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