Democratic
Helena Foulkes
Major-party general-election nominee.
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Rhode Island governor election, 2026
Helena Foulkes vs. Aaron Guckian. Incumbent lost renomination.
Nominee changed — Foulkes beat the governor in the primary
Incumbent Dan McKee lost the September 9, 2026 Democratic primary to Helena Foulkes, who faces Republican Aaron Guckian and independent Ken Block in November. Every poll on file asks about McKee, so the stored number describes a matchup that will never be on a ballot. The forecast returns as soon as a pollster asks about Foulkes. (Cutoff deliberately NOT set yet: the override needs the race in the frame, and the race is only in the frame while it has polls. Add the cutoff and retire this entry once a pollster asks about the new nominee.)
No forecast is published for this race. Helena Foulkes is the Democratic nominee; the forecast returns once a pollster asks about the new matchup.
Republican
Aaron Guckian
Major-party general-election nominee.
Other listed candidates
- Ken Block · Independent
- Jasjit Gotra · Independent
- CD Reynolds · Independent
Polls
No verified 2026 general-election poll is currently available in the feed for this race.
Other forecasts
Cook
Solid D
as of Oct. 13, 2026
DDHQ
Safe D
as of Oct. 14, 2026
Fox
Solid D
as of Oct. 6, 2026
IE
Solid D
as of Oct. 1, 2026
RCP
Solid D
as of Oct. 12, 2026
Sabato
Safe D
as of Oct. 6, 2026
Silver
Solid D
as of Oct. 13, 2026
Published ratings are categorical, not probabilities, and remain independent of VotePredictor. Sources and update dates ↗
Past results
Every Rhode Island election for governor we hold a result for.
YearWinnerMargin
Candidate news
The Weekly Closeout: Chewy’s sales jump and a retail exec turns politician
The pet retailer scored more than 7% net sales growth in the most recent quarter. Meanwhile, former Hudson’s Bay CEO Helena Foulkes could soon be Rhode Island’s governor.
Retail Dive · September 11, 2026
'PEOPLE ARE DEFINITELY HURTING BECAUSE OF TRUMP': RI Dem Helena Foulkes on shocking primary win
Rhode Island Democratic nominee for governor Helena Foulkes joins MS NOW's Lawrence O'Donnell after defeating incumbent ...
Biztoc.com · September 11, 2026
Democratic Establishment Bites the Dust in Another State
Incumbent Rhode Island governor Dan McKee loses to Helena Foulkes thanks to a bridge project gone wrong. Meanwhile, 27-year-old socialist David Morales will be the next mayor of Providence. It was a bad night for the Democratic Establishment.
New York Magazine · September 10, 2026
Incumbent Democratic Governor Loses Primary by a Whopping 25 Points
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, wi…
Freerepublic.com · September 10, 2026
Foulkes defeats Rhode Island's McKee, 1st governor in 8 years to lose a primary - PBS
Foulkes defeats Rhode Island's McKee, 1st governor in 8 years to lose a primaryPBS Helena Foulkes Defeats Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee in Democratic PrimaryThe New York Times Rhode Island Dems Oust Sitting Governor | National News | U.S. NewsU.S. News & World …
Slashdot.org · September 10, 2026
Ex-NFL cheerleader battles former gubernatorial aide in tight GOP primary race
Elaine Pelino and Aaron Guckian are locked in a Rhode Island Republican primary too close to call as the GOP eyes a historically blue state.
Fox News · September 10, 2026
Matos wins race for Rhode Island lieutenant governor
Democratic Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos secured a full four-year term Tuesday, as Republican challenger Aaron Guckian conceded shortly before 10 p.m,
The Boston Globe · November 9, 2022