Pelino, Guckian Locked in Rhode Island GOP Primary as McKee Won Last Race by 19 Points
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 10
Pelino, Guckian Locked in Rhode Island GOP Primary as McKee Won Last Race by 19 Points
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 10
Summary
Early Thursday returns left Elaine Pelino and Aaron Guckian in a Rhode Island Republican gubernatorial primary too close to call, delaying clarity on who will challenge Democratic Gov. Daniel McKee on Nov. 3.
The contest split between Pelino’s outsider pitch and hard-line themes on immigration, law enforcement and school choice, and Guckian’s more centrist, policy-heavy focus on permitting, government services and state spending.
Guckian argued Rhode Island’s budget climbed from $9.3 billion in 2019 to more than $14 billion between 2024 and 2026, saying the state built permanent commitments on temporary federal COVID aid.
Whoever emerges faces a steep general-election climb in a state where McKee beat Republican Ashley Kalus 57.9% to 38.9% in the last gubernatorial race.