Rhode Island is holding primary elections Tuesday, Sept. 13, with competitive races for governor, mayor of Providence and General Assembly seats. So far, nearly 28,000 Rhode Islanders have cast their ballots through early voting or mail-in ballots. Election results are expected Tuesday night.
Running the gubernatorial gauntlet
The primary Tuesday will determine the Democratic and Republican nominees for the gubernatorial race. Democratic Gov. Dan McKee — who took up the position after former Gov. Gina Raimondo became Secretary of Commerce for the Biden administration in 2021 — has been campaigning for a full term as governor of the Ocean State.
McKee is challenged by Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, Helena Buonnano Foulkes, former Rhode Island Secretary of State Matt Brown and Luis Daniel Muñoz.
According to a WPRI poll from early August, McKee, Foulkes and Gorbea are the top contenders for the Democratic nomination. Foulkes was formerly an executive for CVS Health.
The Republican nominees are Ashley Kalus and Jonathan Riccitelli.
Mayoral melee
Three Democrats — Gonzalo Cuervo, Nirva LaFortune MA '19 and Brett Smiley — are facing off in the mayoral primary. With no independents or Republicans running, the primary winner is guaranteed to replace Mayor Jorge Elorza as he leaves office at the end of his term limit, WPRI reported.
Statehouse scramble
A number of incumbents will be contending to keep their seats in the State House races alongside a contentious race for the 2nd District House seat.
The Democratic primary for Rhode Island’s second district is up for grabs with the retirement of Rep. Jim Langevin. General Treasurer Seth Magaziner — the current favorite for the nomination according to FiveThirtyEight — will go up against Sarah Morgenthau, a lawyer for the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Rep. David Segal, who was formerly a state representative for four years.
House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, D-Warwick, and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, D-Providence, are both facing progressive challengers, the Boston Globe reported.
Machine mayhem
Despite errors on Spanish-language ballots showing incorrect lists of candidates during early voting, ExpressVote voting machines will remain in place for today’s elections, the Providence Journal reported. Though the Rhode Island Board of Elections considered alternatives, it found that the only alternative machines compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act would take too long to transport.
Katy Pickens is the managing editor of newsroom and vice president of The Brown Daily Herald's 133rd Editorial Board. She previously served as a Metro section editor covering College Hill, Fox Point and the Jewelry District, housing & campus footprint and activism, all while maintaining a passion for knitting tiny hats.
Caleb Lazar is the senior editor of data desk for The Brown Daily Herald's 133rd Editorial Board.
