With less than a month before early voting begins for Rhode Island state and local primaries, candidates are pounding the pavement and packing in the public events in the hopes of gaining voters’ support – and potentially, donations.
Second-quarter campaign finance reports were due to the R.I. Board of Elections by 11:59 p.m. on July 31. Here’s a look at how state general office candidates fared in fundraising and spending during the three-month period that ended June 30. Candidates who are participating in the Sept. 9 primary will have to file two more campaign reports before voting day: one on Aug. 12, reflecting donations and fundraising from July 1 to Aug. 11; and a second on Sept. 2, reflecting donations and fundraising from Aug. 12 to Sept. 1.
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Early voting begins Aug. 20.
Governor’s race
Democratic challenger Helena Buonanno Foulkes continues to outraise Gov. Daniel J. McKee, with more than four times the cash on hand, though that includes a $1.8 million loan balance from several years ago. Independent Ken Block bolstered his first quarter of fundraising with a $10,250 personal loan. Republicans Aaron Guckian and Elaine Pelino brought in just over $11,000 between them, with Pelino spending less than 10% of the $61,000 Guckian reported in campaign expenditures.
Gov. Daniel J. McKee (D)
Donations: $253,714.29
Spending: $945,434.57
Cash on hand: $668,626.22
Loan balance: $21,922.88 (last borrowed in 2022)
Helena Buonnano Foulkes (D)
Donations: $899,705.83
Spending: $1,212,579.57
Cash on Hand: $3,338,991.08
Loan balance: $1,835,000 (last borrowed in 2022)
Aaron Guckian (R)
Donations: $9,088.49
Spending: $61,011.55
Cash on hand: $30,190.38
Loan balance: $10,500 ($500 from second quarter )
Elaine Pelino (R)
Donations: $2,124.99
Spending: $2,022.68
Cash on hand: $3,142.95
Loan balance: $500 (borrowed in 2025)
Ken Block (I)
Donations: $133,225.00
Spending: $53,173.93
Cash on hand: $90,301.07
Loan balance: $1,059,301.60 (includes $10,250 from second quarter)
Jay Gotra (I)
Donations: $5,915
Spending: $5,225.81
Cash on hand: $692.19
Christopher Reynolds (I)
Reynolds’ second-quarter report remains pending on the Rhode Island Board of Elections website as of Monday. Reynolds did not respond to requests for comment.
Lieutenant Governor’s race
Former Newport mayor and current City Councilor Xay Khamsyvoravong leads a five-way Democratic primary, with more than $117,000 raised during the quarter and $333,000 on hand by the end of June. Former state Sen. Cindy Coyne and current Providence City Councilor Sue AnderBois both brought in about $60,000 each, while incumbent Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos raised about $43,000, while also carrying nearly $98,000 in outstanding loans. Republican John Loughlin spent about 170% of what he raised, while Democrat Ross McCurdy raised less than $1,000 in contributions.
Cindy Coyne (D)
Donations: $62,882.84
Spending: $28,917.83
Cash on hand: $183,054.06
Loan balance: $25,000
Sue AnderBois (D)
Donations: $58,595.86
Spending: $42,525.30
Cash on hand: $129,932.19
Loan balance: $25,000 ($15,000 borrowed this quarter)
Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos (D)
Donations: $43,101.34
Spending: $42,354.92
Cash on hand: $74,078.54
Loan balance: $97,832.38
Xay Khamsyvoravong (D)
Donations: $117,296
Spending: $57,210.59
Cash on hand: $333,305.33
Ross McCurdy (D)
Donations: $632.83
Spending: $126.74
Cash on hand: $580.03
John Loughlin (R)
Donations: $25,960
Spending: $44,167.39
Cash on hand: $15,260.25
Loan balance: $2,647
Attorney general’s race
The Democratic attorney general primary is no longer neck-and-neck, at least in terms of campaign cash. Keith Hoffmann, a former policy director for term-limited Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, surged ahead with a $450,000 loan to his campaign, boosted by more than $200,000 in donations. While Hoffmann has nearly twice the cash on hand as any of his opponents, including former Cannabis Control Chair Kim Ahern, Ahern edged out Hoffman in second-quarter donations. Ahern is also the only Democrat who has not loaned money to her own campaign; former state representatives Joe Solomon Jr. and Jason Knight both have six-figure loan balances from prior fundraising periods. Republican Alan Gordon did not raise or spend any money, ending the quarter with $25 in his campaign account.
Kim Ahern (D)
Donations: $217,741
Spending: $88,554
Cash on hand: $558,887.74
Keith Hoffmann (D)
Donations: $656,768.52
Spending: $102,450.74
Cash on hand: $1,099,935.28
Loan balance: $550,000
Jason Knight (D)
Donations: $115,690.45
Spending: $49,967.99
Cash on hand: $360,701.90
Loan balance: $113,115.95
Joe Solomon Jr. (D)
Donations: $103,095
Spending: $26,358.98
Cash on hand: $588,335.20
Loan balance: $105,000
Alan Gordon (R)
Donations: $0
Spending: $0
Cash on hand: $25
General Treasurer’s race
James Diossa (D)
Donations: $46,671.18
Spending: $61,106.07
Cash on hand: $342,330.37
Micholas Credle (R)
Credle’s second-quarter report remains pending on the Rhode Island Board of Elections website as of Monday. Credle’s campaign sent a copy of the forms to Rhode Island Current.
Donations: $150
Spending: $2,033.59
Cash on hand: $196.78
Loan balance: $1,900.94
Secretary of State’s race
Gregg Amore (D) (unopposed)
Donations: $55,195
Spending: $43,066.58
This story was originally published on the Rhode Island Current.
