PROVIDENCE – Gubernatorial candidate Helena B. Foulkes on Wednesday challenged incumbent Gov. Daniel J. McKee to a minimum of three primary debates before early voting begins on Sept. 8.
McKee's campaign quickly agreed, though the debate schedule is still being worked out.
Foulkes campaign spokesperson Angelika Pellegrino said in a statement that with four months until the 2026 gubernatorial primary, “Rhode Island Democratic primary voters deserve to hear directly from the Democratic candidates for governor about their plans to tackle the housing crisis, address rising health care costs, and share their vision for making Rhode Island a place families can afford to live.”
There were several primary debates held in the 2022 gubernatorial election. That year's Democratic primary saw McKee defeat Foulkes, a former CVS executive, by roughly 3,000 votes. He went on to beat Republican Ashley Kalus by 19 percentage points.
Sophie Mestas, spokesperson for the McKee for campaign, said the governor is committed to participating in three debates before early voting begins. She added that the campaign has already been in touch with organizers about scheduling.
McKee “is excited for Rhode Islanders to see the clear difference between a governor who fights for working families and stands up to Trump and a corporate executive who has always put her own profit first,” said Mestas.
The 2026 campaign has heated up in recent months as the two campaigns have jockeyed to differentiate their election platforms from each other.
In March Foulkes introduced her comprehensive “Rhode Home Program” housing plan that would create a revolving fund to finance the building 20,000 new homes and apartments supported by a new tax on high-income earners. The centerpiece of her plan, which the McKee campaign later called “lackluster,” is a proposed 3% income tax on individuals earning over $1 million, which the campaign projects would generate more than a billion dollars within eight years.
McKee in his fiscal 2027 budget proposal includes a 3% surtax on income above $1 million, indexed to inflation, that additional tax revenue generated would go to the state’s general fund.
Restaurant owner Gregory Stevens is the only other candidate registered as a Democrat to challenge McKee. And earlier this month Barrington businessman Ken Block declared his candidacy for governor as an independent.
The most recent Ocean State poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire of 703 Rhode Island residents from Feb. 12-16 gave Foulkes a 16-point lead over McKee.
Given the challenges facing the state, “The stakes are high ahead of this pivotal election," said Pellegrino.
(SUBS fourth paragraph to change number of primary debates to several.)
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.
