Democrat Helena Buonanno Foulkes Wins Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election

Helena Buonanno Foulkes stood before a victory celebration at the Graduate Hotel in downtown Providence on Tuesday night and told supporters that Rhode Island had made “a choice about what kind of state we want to be.” The 62-year-old Democrat captured 57% of the vote in unofficial results, defeating independent Ken Block, who earned 28%, and Republican Aaron Guckian, who took 13%. “I feel a deep responsibility, and I am going to work every single day on your behalf,” Foulkes said.

WBUR News reported that the victory completes a political journey Foulkes began more than four years ago. A newcomer to campaigning in 2022, she narrowly lost a primary challenge to Gov. Dan McKee that year, but returned to defeat him by 24 points in this cycle’s primary, winning every community in the state as McKee faced low approval ratings. Tuesday’s result extends that dominance, making Foulkes only the second woman governor in Rhode Island history, following Gina Raimondo’s 2014 election, and continuing an unbroken string of Democratic governors since that year.

From CVS Pharmacy to the State House

Foulkes, who has never previously held elective office, campaigned on her record as former president of CVS Pharmacy, a division of CVS Health where she oversaw an $80 billion business and more than 200,000 employees. She argued that this organizational experience positioned her to deliver strong leadership on affordability and housing while confronting the Trump administration in Washington. Her win came with a pledge to bring a “more muscular style” to tackling the state’s top challenges.

Rhode Island voters elect Helena Foulkes governor

That corporate résumé also made her a target. During both the primary and general election, rivals pressed her on how CVS made large settlements in response to lawsuits over its opioid distributions. Foulkes maintained that she took action and reduced the company’s involvement. Block, making his third run for governor, argued he was the true outsider while Foulkes was beholden to special interests like the Laborers’ International Union. Foulkes countered by painting Block as a conservative running as a moderate.

A $6 Million Machine Against $400,000

The general election featured a stark financial imbalance. Foulkes’s campaign spent more than $6 million and maintained a frequent presence through television commercials, while Block, a 61-year-old tech entrepreneur, said he spent about $400,000. Outside spending by political action committees also favored Foulkes heavily. Despite the gap, Block gained support in the short general election phase, prompting Foulkes’s campaign to resurface his long-ago criticism of the Affordable Care Act—remarks Block insisted misrepresented his current stance in support of increasing access to healthcare.

Helena Foulkes reflects on Democratic wins as she prepares to take office as Rhode Island governor

Conceding at a country music bar in downtown Providence, Block kept an optimistic tone. “But I ran the race I wanted to run,” he told supporters. “A race based on ideas and solutions without a party price tag.” He urged volunteers to remain engaged, noting that “good ideas should get a fair hearing even when they don’t come with a multi-million dollar advertising budget.” As he left the stage to chants of “Ken! Ken! Ken!”, he smiled and said, “Someone get me a beer.”

Housing, Healthcare, and a Bridge in 2028

Foulkes inherits a state where polling indicates many Rhode Islanders believe things are headed in the wrong direction. The list of challenges includes a weak financial situation, healthcare struggles, a shortage of available housing, and ongoing education issues. She has pledged to create 20,000 new housing units over two terms and said her first 100 days after the January inauguration would focus on housing, healthcare, and other key issues.

Democrat Helena Buonanno Foulkes Wins Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election

The Washington Bridge crisis, which helped take down McKee, remains a visible infrastructure failure. Foulkes has said she plans to be the governor to cut the ribbon on a new bridge in 2028. With deep family roots in politics—her grandfather Thomas J. Dodd and uncle Christopher Dodd both served as U.S. senators from Connecticut, and her late mother was a college roommate of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi—Foulkes and her husband William, with whom she has four adult children and homes in Providence and Narragansett, must now navigate whether corporate management translates to political solutions.

Whether Foulkes can use her experience overseeing an $80 billion business to address Rhode Island’s housing and fiscal challenges remains the open question as her January inauguration approaches.