Governor Dan McKee PHOTO: GoLocal's Richard McCaffreyGovernor Dan McKee will win the Democratic gubernatorial primary -- beating back a late rush by corporate executive Helena Foulkes.
Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea and former Secretary of State Matt Brown finished third and fourth, respectively.
McKee now leads by 2690 votes over Foulkes with 96% of the vote in.
The remaining ballots that are uncounted are likely to break to McKee.
Foulkes issued the following statement shortly after 10 PM on Tuesday.
"Democratic primary voters cast their ballots in a critical election that will decide the future of our state--thousands of those votes have yet to be counted. This election is still too close to call, and we owe it to voters to ensure that every single ballot is counted."
About 10:40 PM, Foulkes conceded.
DGA Chair North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper released the following statement, “In the year and a half since he was sworn in, Gov. McKee has put Rhode Island back on strong footing as the state has recovered from the pandemic, including reaching one of the highest vaccination rates in the country. Dan has prioritized delivering a strong economy for all Rhode Islanders, getting results on some of the most critical issues facing the state, including affordable housing, education, protecting the environment, and gun safety. The DGA was proud to endorse Gov. Dan McKee when he announced his candidacy earlier this year and we look forward to continuing to support him.”
Keys to McKee's Victory
- The overwhelming support from the public and private unions, including AFL-CIO and the National Education Association.
- Track record -- when McKee took over the governorship 18 months ago, Rhode Island ranked 50th in vaccination rate, and now the state is tops -- allowing the local economy to reopen quicker.
- Multi-candidate race also helped McKee, as more progressive elements of the party were split.
McKee will face Republican gubernatorial candidate Ashley Kalus in the November 8th general election.
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