Rhode Island's Dan McKee Faces 2026 Primary Test as 2023 Bridge Closure Fuels Backlash
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 30
Rhode Island's Dan McKee Faces 2026 Primary Test as 2023 Bridge Closure Fuels Backlash
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 30
Summary
Dan McKee’s bid for a second full term has tightened around the 2023 shutdown of the Washington Bridge, a crucial Providence link whose closure triggered lasting traffic delays and voter anger.
Helena Foulkes, 62, has made the bridge saga central to her challenge, accusing the 75-year-old governor of hiding information, shielding allies and worsening costs and delays through political decisions.
McKee says he acted decisively after engineers found structural failures that could have caused the bridge to collapse, arguing he put public safety ahead of his political future.
The clash has widened beyond transportation: McKee has attacked Foulkes over her CVS record, pointing to the chain’s $5 billion 2022 opioid settlement as he tries to blunt her outsider appeal.