Daniel McKee

Daniel McKee (Democratic Party) is the Governor of Rhode Island. He assumed office on March 2, 2021. His current term ends on January 5, 2027.

McKee was born in Cumberland, Rhode Island, in 1951.^[1]^[2] He earned his bachelor's degree in political science and education from Assumption University in 1973 and a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University in 2005.^[3] He previously worked for his family's business, McKee Brothers Oil Corp., and owned and operated a health and fitness business.^[4]^[5]

McKee served on the Cumberland Town Council from 1992 to 2001.^[4] McKee ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Cumberland in 1998 but was elected in 2000.^[6] McKee served as mayor from 2001 to 2005, losing re-election in 2004. He won again in 2006 and served as mayor until 2014.^[6] During his tenure, McKee established Blackstone Valley Prep, becoming the first mayor to lead a school board at a charter school following the enactment of a state law that introduced this practice.^[7]

McKee was elected lieutenant governor in 2014, defeating Catherine Terry Taylor (R). He was re-elected in 2018, defeating state Rep. J. Aaron Regunberg (D) in the Democratic primary 51.1% to 48.8% and Paul Pence (R) in the general election. During the COVID-19 pandemic, McKee advocated for giving $125 million in CARES Act funds to assist small businesses with grants up to $10,000, a larger proposal than Gov. Gina Raimondo's (D) plan to spend $50 million with grants as high as $15,000.^[8]

McKee took office as Rhode Island's 76th governor on March 2, 2021, after Gov. Raimondo was confirmed to serve as the U.S. secretary of commerce in Joe Biden's administration.^[9] In his inaugural address, McKee said, "Together, we’re going to keep Rhode Islanders healthy. We’re going to get us back to work. We’re going to get teachers and students safely back in the classroom. We’re going to get our businesses back in business."^[10] McKee won an election to a full term in 2022, defeating Ashley Kalus (R).

The Providence Journal's Patrick Anderson wrote that McKee was "a moderate...probably a shade to the right of today's median Rhode Island Democrat."^[7] In 2021, he opposed a bill that would put a three-year freeze on building new charter schools, which he said would do "nothing to improve our public education system while the moratorium debate only serves to divide us."^[11] In 2022, he signed a budget that eliminated the state's car tax and a one-time tax credit of $250 for eligible families.^[12] In 2023, McKee signed a bill that permitted state funds to be used for healthcare plans covering abortions for state employees and Medicaid recipients.^[13] In 2024, McKee introduced a budget that increased spending on education, lowered the minimum corporate tax and increased spending on building housing.^[14] In 2025, McKee allowed the state budget to become law without his signature over concerns that the spending plan increased fees and taxes, saying it "is not a time to be putting fees and additional taxes on the working families in the state of Rhode Island."^[15]

In March 2025, McKee announced he would seek a second full term as governor.^[16]

Biography

McKee was born in Cumberland, Rhode Island, on June 16, 1951. He received a bachelor's degree in political science and education from Assumption College and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. McKee was a business owner for three decades in Blackstone Valley, leading his family's heating oil business and opening a real estate firm and fitness center.^[1]^[17]^[18]^[19]

Political career

Below is a list of offices within Ballotpedia’s scope. Offices outside of that scope will not be listed. If an update is needed and the office is within our scope, please contact us.

McKee's political career includes the following offices:

2021-present: Governor of Rhode Island
2015-2021: Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island

Elections

2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for Governor of Rhode Island

Incumbent Daniel McKee and Helena Foulkes are running in the general election for Governor of Rhode Island on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Daniel McKee (D)
		Helena Foulkes (D)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Endorsements

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2022

General election

General election for Governor of Rhode Island

Incumbent Daniel McKee defeated Ashley Kalus, Zachary Baker Hurwitz, Paul Rianna Jr., and Elijah Gizzarelli in the general election for Governor of Rhode Island on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Daniel McKee (D)	57.9	207,166
	Ashley Kalus (R)	38.9	139,001
	Zachary Baker Hurwitz (Independent)	1.3	4,512
	Paul Rianna Jr. (Independent)	0.9	3,123
	Elijah Gizzarelli (L)	0.8	2,811
	Other/Write-in votes	0.3	1,057

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 357,670
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

James Aubin (L)
Christopher Reynolds (Independent)
Richard Spinney (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Rhode Island

Incumbent Daniel McKee defeated Helena Foulkes, Nellie Gorbea, Matt Brown, and Luis Daniel Muñoz in the Democratic primary for Governor of Rhode Island on September 13, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Daniel McKee	32.8	37,288
	Helena Foulkes	29.9	33,931
	Nellie Gorbea	26.2	29,811
	Matt Brown	7.9	9,021
	Luis Daniel Muñoz	3.1	3,547

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 113,598
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Kalilu Camara (D)
Seth Magaziner (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Rhode Island

Ashley Kalus defeated Jonathan Riccitelli in the Republican primary for Governor of Rhode Island on September 13, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Ashley Kalus	83.7	17,188
	Jonathan Riccitelli	16.3	3,351

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 20,539
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2018

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island

Incumbent Daniel McKee defeated Paul Pence, Joel Hellmann, Jonathan Riccitelli, and Ross McCurdy in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Daniel McKee (D)	61.9	226,528
		Paul Pence (R)	29.1	106,505
	Submit photo	Joel Hellmann (Moderate Party of Rhode Island Party)	3.1	11,332
		Jonathan Riccitelli (Independent)	2.7	9,866
		Ross McCurdy (Independent)	2.6	9,408
		Other/Write-in votes	0.7	2,513

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 366,152 (100.00% precincts reporting)
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Zachary Ward (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island

Incumbent Daniel McKee defeated J. Aaron Regunberg in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island on September 12, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Daniel McKee	51.1	57,983
	J. Aaron Regunberg	48.9	55,517

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 113,500
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

William Beeley Jr. (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island

Paul Pence advanced from the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island on September 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Paul Pence	100.0	25,388

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 25,388
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Karl Wadensten (R)

2014

See also: Rhode Island Lieutenant Gubernatorial election, 2014

General election

Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Daniel McKee	54.3%	169,078
	Republican	Catherine Terry Taylor	33.8%	105,305
	Moderate	William Gilbert	8.3%	25,951
	Libertarian	Tony Jones	3.3%	10,221
	Nonpartisan	Write-in votes	0.3%	906
Total Votes				311,461
Election results via State of Rhode Island

Primary election

Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island, Democratic Primary, 2014
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Daniel McKee	43%	50,229
Ralph Mollis	36.4%	42,525
Frank Ferri	20.5%	23,970
Total Votes		116,724
Election results via Rhode Island Board of Elections.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

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2022

Daniel McKee did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by Daniel McKee
Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Kamala D. Harris ^source (D, Working Families Party)	President of the United States (2024)	Primary	Lost General
Joe Biden ^source (D, Working Families Party)	President of the United States (2020)		Won General

Notable ballot measure endorsements by Daniel McKee
Measure	Position	Outcome
Rhode Island Question 1, University Narragansett Bay Campus Bond Measure (2022) ^source	Support	Approved
Rhode Island Question 3, Environment and Recreation Bond Measure (2022) ^source	Support	Approved

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Daniel McKee campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	Governor of Rhode Island	Won general	$3,857,748	$0
2014	Rhode Island Lieutenant Governor	Won	$571,703	N/A**
Grand total			$4,429,451	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Noteworthy events

Decision to self-quarantine because of coronavirus on January 9, 2021

See also: Politicians, candidates, and government officials diagnosed with or quarantined due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020


Coronavirus pandemic
Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more.

On January 9, 2021, McKee announced he would self-quarantine after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.^[20]

Ballot measure activity

The following table details McKee's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:

Ballot measure support and opposition for Daniel McKee
Ballot measure	Year	Position	Status
Rhode Island Question 3, Environment and Recreation Bond Measure (2022)	2022	Supported^[21]	a Approved
Rhode Island Question 1, University Narragansett Bay Campus Bond Measure (2022)	2022	Supported^[22]	a Approved

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Governor of Rhode Island

Officeholder

Governor of Rhode Island

Personal

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Gina Raimondo (D)	Governor of Rhode Island 2021-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by Elizabeth Roberts (D)	Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island 2015-2021	Succeeded by -

[coneg-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Coalition of Northeastern Governors, "Daniel J. Mckee, Rhode Island Governor," accessed May 18, 2021

[NGA-2] National Governors Association, "Gov. Dan McKee," accessed March 18, 2021

[Globe-3] The Boston Globe, "10 things you didn’t know about R.I. Governor Dan McKee," March 3, 2021

[Resolution-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Rhode Island General Assembly, "2021 -- S 0564," accessed January 4, 2025

[LGRace-5] The Providence Journal, "Democrats in R.I. lieutenant governor race put economy first," August 25, 2014

[Voice-6] 6.0 ^6.1 The Boston Globe, "The voice of Rhode Island’s cities and towns steps up to represent the entire state," January 12, 2021

[Who-7] 7.0 ^7.1 The Providence Journal, "Who is Dan McKee," January 8, 2021

[8] CranstonOnline, "McKee urges more money to support small businesses," July 22, 2020

[9] The Boston Globe, "McKee sworn in as Rhode Island’s 76th governor," March 2, 2021

[10] WPRI, "‘We’ll get through this together’: McKee conveys hope in inaugural address," March 5, 2021

[11] The Providence Journal, "McKee rejects moratorium, reaffirms support for charter schools," March 30, 2021

[12] WPRI, "McKee signs $13.6B state budget," June 27, 2022

[13] Associated Press, "Rhode Island governor signs bill to fund abortion coverage for state workers and Medicaid recipients," May 18, 2023

[14] Brown Daily Herald, "Governor McKee unveils FY 2025 budget," January 25, 2024

[15] Rhode Island Current, "McKee refuses to sign FY26 budget, blasts lawmakers for ‘unnecessary’ taxes and fees," June 25, 2025

[16] Rhode Island Current, "No doubt about it, Gov. McKee is running for reelection," March 3, 2025

[17] National Governors Association, "Gov. Dan McKee," accessed March 18, 2021

[18] Fuel Oil News, "R.I. Governor: ‘Economy’s Future Is Going to Be in Renewables,'" July 13, 2022

[19] Issu, "Governor Daniel J. McKee Continues to Lead Rhode Island in the Right Direction," accessed September 17, 2025

[20] The Providence Journal, "RI Lt. Gov. McKee in quarantine after close COVID contact," January 9, 2021

[21] State of Rhode Island, "Governor McKee, Mayor Elorza, Environmental Leaders Kick Off Campaign for $50 Million Green Bond," September 27, 2022

[22] The University of Rhode Island, "University of Rhode Island kicks off ‘Vote Yes on 1’ bond campaign," September 28, 2022

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Daniel McKee

Biography

Political career

Elections

2026

General election

General election for Governor of Rhode Island

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for Governor of Rhode Island

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Rhode Island

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Rhode Island

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2018

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2014

General election

Primary election

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

2022

Notable endorsements

Campaign finance summary

Noteworthy events

Decision to self-quarantine because of coronavirus on January 9, 2021

Ballot measure activity

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

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