Results: Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee defeats Republican Ashley Kalus in gubernatorial election
- Gov. Daniel McKee defeated Republican Ashley Kalus in Rhode Island's gubernatorial race.
- A lifelong Rhode Islander with deep roots in state politics, McKee was well-positioned to defeat Ashley Kalus.
Democratic incumbent Gov. Daniel McKee defeated Republican Ashley Kalus in Rhode Island's gubernatorial election.
Polls closed in the state at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Rhode Island's gubernatorial candidates
McKee was sworn in as governor following former Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo's resignation to serve as the secretary of commerce in the Joe Biden administration. He previously served as the state's lieutenant governor from 2015 to 2021.
A lifelong Rhode Islander, McKee began his political career serving in local government as a Cumberland Town councilman. After eight years, he was elected mayor of Cumberland and served for 12 years. His top priority is the COVID-19 pandemic and "getting shots in arms."
Kalus, McKee's challenger, is a relative newcomer to Rhode Island, which prompted McKee's campaign to slam her as an outsider. She and her husband own a plastic surgery practice.
Rhode Island's voting history
Rhode Island went for President Joe Biden over Trump by nearly 20 percentage points in 2020. The state has gone blue since 1928, only voting Republican four times — twice for Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956, for Richard Nixon in 1972, and for Ronald Reagan in 1984.
What experts say
The race between McKee and Kalus is rated as "solid Democratic" by Inside Elections, "solid Democratic" by The Cook Political Report, and "likely Democratic" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.