Rhode Island lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (September 12 Democratic primary)

Elections in Rhode Island, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 7
• Early voting: N/A
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: No
• Voter ID: Photo ID required
• Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • Lt. Gov • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • State ballot measures • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2022 → ← 2014
Rhode Island Lieutenant Governor
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 27, 2018
Primary: September 12, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent(s): Daniel McKee (Democrat)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Rhode Island
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2018 Impact of term limits in 2018 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
Rhode Island executive elections
Governor Lieutenant governor Attorney general Secretary of state Treasurer

Incumbent Lt. Gov. Daniel McKee (D) defeated state Rep. J. Aaron Regunberg (D) in Rhode Island's 2018 Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary.

McKee, who was first elected in 2014 by a margin of 20 points, highlighted his political experience and time in office. He pointed to Rhode Island consumers having representation against corporate shareholders like National Grid, taking legal action related to the opioid crisis against pharmaceutical companies, and providing workforce training dollars to small business as examples of successes during his tenure.

Regunberg emphasized his plan to bring progressive policies to the state house by focusing on coalition-building, restricting lobbyist contributions to state legislators, and instituting public election financing. He said in his first campaign ad, "Real change starts with opening these doors to turn the State House back into the people’s house. That’s how we’ll win universal healthcare, ban assault weapons, and protect a woman’s right to choose."

McKee was endorsed by the Rhode Island Democratic Party, while Regunberg was backed by Justice Democrats and the state chapters of Indivisible and Our Revolution.

According to the candidates' August 14 campaign finance filings, Regunberg had more cash on hand to spend in the final weeks of the race. He reported $250,000 to McKee's $149,000.

Also running was fast food franchise owner William Beeley Jr. (D).

For more information about lieutenant gubernatorial elections in 2018, click here.

SETTING THE STAGE

Heading into the 2018 election, the sitting lieutenant governor was Daniel McKee (D), who was first elected in 2014. On November 7, 2017, McKee announced that he would seek re-election in 2018.

In 2018, Rhode Island was a Democratic trifecta. It had held this status since 2013, when former Gov. Lincoln Chafee joined the Democratic Party. Rhode Island was also a Democratic triplex.

The Democratic candidate won Rhode Island in each of the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016. The widest margin of victory was Al Gore's 29 percent margin in 2000, while the narrowest was Hillary Clinton's 16 percent margin in 2016.

Candidates and election results

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

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island

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

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	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)

Forums and debates

June 24, 2018, Rhode Island Democratic Party State Committee Meeting

McKee and Regunberg attended the Rhode Island Democratic Party State Committee Meeting on June 24, 2018, where they made pitches for why the party should support their candidacy. McKee was endorsed by the state party by a vote of 93 to 36.

Watch the candidates' speeches below:

McKee's speech, June 24, 2018

Regunberg's speech, June 24, 2018

Endorsements

The table below summarizes the endorsements Ballotpedia identified for Democratic candidates in this primary.

Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Democratic candidate endorsements
Endorsement	McKee	Regunberg
Organizations
Rhode Island Democratic Party	✔
Planned Parenthood Votes! Rhode Island		✔
Rhode Island National Organization for Women (RI-NOW)		✔
Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence		✔
Sierra Club of Rhode Island		✔
Clean Water Action		✔
Climate Action RI 350.org		✔
Substance Abuse and Overdose Prevention PAC		✔
Indivisible Rhode Island		✔
Our Revolution Rhode Island		✔
Justice Democrats		✔
Rhode Island Working Families Party		✔
Young Democrats of Rhode Island		✔
Democracy for America		✔
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1199 New England		✔
United Nurses and Allied Professionals (UNAP) Local 5019		✔
Teamsters Local 251		✔
UNITE HERE Local 26		✔
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 32BJ		✔
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 2323		✔
The Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Healthcare Professionals (RIFTHP)		✔
The Rhode Island State Association of Firefighters (RISAFF)		✔
Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 618		✔
United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 9A		✔
The New England Regional Council of Carpenters Local 330		✔
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 328		✔
Charlestown Democratic Town Committee		✔
Warren Democratic Town Committee		✔
Jamestown Democratic Town Committee		✔
Narragansett Democratic Town Committee		✔
Scituate Democratic Town Committee		✔
North Kingstown Democratic Town Committee		✔
Cranston Democratic City Committee		✔
Glocester Democratic Town Committee		✔
Newport Democratic City Committee		✔
Lincoln Democratic Town Committee		✔
Barrington Democratic Town Committee		✔
East Greenwich Democratic Town Committee		✔
East Providence Democratic City Committee		✔
Coventry Democratic Town Committee		✔
Tiverton Democratic Town Committee		✔
Individuals
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I)		✔
Mayor Jorge Elorza (Providence)		✔
Rep. Susan Donovan (Bristol)		✔
Rep. Jason Knight (Barrington/Warren)		✔
Rep. Shelby Maldonado (Central Falls)		✔
Rep. Arthur Handy (Cranston)		✔
Rep. Gregg Amore (East Providence)		✔
Rep. Katherine S. Kazarian (East Providence)		✔
Rep. Helder Cunha (East Providence)		✔
Rep. Jeremiah T. O'Grady (Lincoln)		✔
Rep. Lauren Carson (Newport)		✔
Rep. Julie Casimiro (North Kingstown)		✔
Rep. Robert E. Craven, Sr. (North Kingstown)		✔
Rep. Jean Barros (Pawtucket)]		✔
Rep. Christopher R. Blazejewski (Providence)		✔
Rep. Marcia Ranglin-Vassell (Providence)		✔
Rep. Kathleen Fogarty		✔
Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee (South Kingstown/Narragansett)		✔
Rep. Teresa Ann Tanzi (South Kingstown/Narragansett)		✔
Rep. Scott Slater (Providence)		✔
Rep. David A. Bennett (Warwick)		✔
Rep. Evan Shanley (Warwick)		✔
Sen. Harold Metts (Providence)		✔
Sen. Adam Satchell (West Warwick)		✔
Sen. Dawn Euer (Newport)		✔
Councilor Robert Britto (East Providence)		✔
Councilor Bryan Principe (Providence)		✔
Councilor Meghan Kallman (Pawtucket)		✔
Councilor Tim Rudd (Pawtucket)		✔
Councilor Jeremy Rix (Warwick)		✔
Councilor Mary Kay Harris (Providence)		✔
Councilor Seth Yurdin (Providence)		✔
Councilor Paul McAuley (Cranston)]		✔
Councilor Nirva LaFortune (Providence)		✔
Councilor John Igliozzi (Providence)		✔
Councilor Suzy Alba (Smithfield)		✔
Councilor Sam Zurier (Providence)		✔
Councilor John Lanni (Cranston)		✔
Erin Dube, School Committee (Pawtucket)		✔

As of August 22, 2018, McKee did not feature a list of endorsements on his campaign website.

Context of the 2018 election

Past elections

2014

See also: Rhode Island lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2014

In the 2014 Democratic primary, Daniel McKee defeated Ralph Mollis and Frank Ferri by a 6.6 percent margin.

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.

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election.

Rhode Island utilizes a semi-closed primary system. Unaffiliated voters may vote in a party's primary without affiliating with that party. Voters that are affiliated with a party at the time of the primary election may only vote in that party's primary.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

Polls in Rhode Island open at 7 a.m. Eastern Time except in New Shoreham, where they open at 9 a.m. All polls statewide close at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Rhode Island, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Rhode Island, and at least 16 years old. To voter, one must be at least 18 years old by Election Day. Applicants can register online, by mailing in a voter registration form, or in person at the local board of canvassers or other state agencies such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Human Services, or the Department of Mental Health.

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

Rhode Island enacted automatic voter registration in 2017.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Rhode Island has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

“

Rhode Island allows for same day voter registration for the Presidential Election only. If you miss the voter registration deadline, you can register to vote on Election Day, but you will only be able to vote for President and Vice President. You will not be able to vote in any state, local, or other federal races. You can only register and vote on Election Day at the location designated by your local board of canvassers.

”

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Rhode Island, you must be a resident of the state.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Rhode Island does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Rhode Island Department of State allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voter ID requirements

Rhode Island requires voters to present photo identification (ID) while voting. Accepted forms of ID include a Rhode Island driver's license, Rhode Island voter ID card, and U.S. passport. For a list of all accepted forms of ID, see below.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of April 2023. Click here for the Rhode Island Secretary of State page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

“

RI Driver's License or Permit RI Voter ID Card * U.S. Passport ID issued by a U.S. educational institution U.S. military ID ID card issued by the United States or the State of Rhode Island Government issued medical card Tribal ID

”

• *The Rhode Island Secretary of State's office is issuing free voter photo ID cards to individuals who do not possess any of the valid Photo IDs listed above. For additional information, visit Rhode Island's online Voter Information Center, call 401-222-2340, or email elections@sos.ri.gov.

Early voting

Rhode Island permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

All Rhode Island voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail.

Absentee ballot applications must be received by your local board of canvassers by 4 p.m. 21 days prior to the election. Completed absentee ballots must then be received by your local board of canvassers by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Should circumstances arise within 20 days of an election that will prevent a voter from making it to the polls on Election Day, he or she may qualify for an emergency mail ballot. More information regarding the emergency mail ballot process can be found here.

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Rhode Island heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

• Following the 2016 elections, Democrats held both U.S. Senate seats in Rhode Island.
• Democrats held two of two U.S. House seats in Rhode Island.

State executives

• As of September 2018, Democrats held five of 12 state executive positions and the remaining seven positions were officially nonpartisan.
• The governor of Rhode Island was Democrat Gina Raimondo. The state held elections for governor on November 6, 2018.

State legislature

• Democrats controlled both chambers of the Rhode Island General Assembly. They had a 64-11 majority in the state House and a 33-4 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

• Rhode Island was under a Democratic state government trifecta, meaning Democrats held the governorship, a majority in the state senate, and a majority in the state house.

2018 elections

See also: Rhode Island elections, 2018

Rhode Island held elections for the following positions in 2018:

• U.S. Senate
• U.S. House
• Governor
• Other state executive
• State Senate
• State House
• Special state legislative

Demographics

Demographic data for Rhode Island
	Rhode Island	U.S.
Total population:	1,055,607	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	1,034	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	81.1%	73.6%
Black/African American:	6.5%	12.6%
Asian:	3.2%	5.1%
Native American:	0.5%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.8%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	13.6%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	86.2%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	31.9%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$56,852	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	17.3%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Rhode Island. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, Rhode Island's three largest cities were Providence (pop. est. 180,000), Cranston (pop. est. 81,000), and Warwick (pop. est. 81,000).

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Rhode Island from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Rhode Island State Board of Elections.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Rhode Island every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Rhode Island 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Hillary Clinton	54.4%	Donald Trump	38.9%	15.5%
2012	Barack Obama	62.7%	Mitt Romney	35.2%	27.5%
2008	Barack Obama	62.9%	John McCain	35.1%	27.8%
2004	John Kerry	59.4%	George W. Bush	38.7%	20.7%
2000	Al Gore	61.0%	George W. Bush	31.9%	29.1%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Rhode Island from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Rhode Island 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	John Reed	70.6%	Mark Zaccaria	29.3%	41.3%
2012	Sheldon Whitehouse	64.8%	Barry Hinckley	35.0%	29.8%
2008	John Reed	73.1%	Bob Tingle	26.5%	46.6%
2006	Sheldon Whitehouse	53.4%	Lincoln Chafee	46.3%	7.1%
2002	John Reed	78.4%	Bob Tingle	21.6%	56.8%
2000	Lincoln Chafee	56.9%	Robert Weygand	41.2%	15.7%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Rhode Island.

Election results (Governor), Rhode Island 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	Gina Raimondo	40.7%	Allan Fung	36.2%	4.5%
2010	Lincoln Chafee	36.1%	John Robitaille	33.6%	2.5%
2006	Don Carcieri	51.0%	Charles Forgerty	48.9%	2.1%
2002	Don Carcieri	54.8%	Myrth York	45.2%	9.6%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Rhode Island in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Rhode Island 2000-2016
Year	Republicans	Republicans (%)	Democrats	Democrats (%)	Balance of power
2016	2	100.0%	0	0.0%	D+2
2014	2	100.0%	0	0.0%	D+2
2012	2	100.0%	0	0.0%	D+2
2010	2	100.0%	0	0.0%	D+2
2008	2	100.0%	0	0.0%	D+2
2006	2	100.0%	0	0.0%	D+2
2004	2	100.0%	0	0.0%	D+2
2002	2	100.0%	0	0.0%	D+2
2000	2	100.0%	0	0.0%	D+2

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Rhode Island Party Control: 1992-2025
Sixteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	I	I	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
House	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Rhode Island lieutenant governor Democratic primary 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Rhode Island lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (September 12 Democratic primary) - Google News

See also

Rhode Island government:

• Rhode Island state executive offices
• Rhode Island State Legislature
• Rhode Island courts

Elections:

• Rhode Island state executive official elections, 2018
• Gubernatorial elections, 2018
• Lieutenant gubernatorial elections, 2018
• Attorney General elections, 2018
• Secretary of State elections, 2018
• State executive official elections, 2018, 2017, 2016

Ballotpedia exclusives:

• State executives compensation
• State of the state addresses
• Trifecta control of state government

External links

Suggest a link

• Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island official website

Footnotes

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