The 2026 midterm elections will be taking place on November 3rd, and here’s a guide of everything you
need to know about the Rhode Island Midterms. Voting is an essential part of democracy, and
now more than ever it is important to make your voice heard in this year’s election. If you’re on
the fence about voting, read here for just a few of the many reasons why you should.
This election cycle, Rhode Island voters will be electing one member to the US Senate, two
members of the US House of Representatives, a new state governor, and several local and
state government officials.
However, this year’s governor’s election is unique in that the incumbent governor, Dan McKee
was defeated in the democratic primary. Helen Foulkes defeated Governor McKee with 62% of
the vote, making him the first governor in any US state to lose a party primary since 2018.
Foules is a former CVS executive and niece of former US senator Chris Dodd. She had
previously ran and lost against McKee in the 2022 Governors race.
In the general election, Foulkes will face Republican nominee Aaron Guckian and three
independent candidates: Ken Block, Jasjit Gotra, and CD Reynolds.
Guckian is the former chair of the Warwick Sewer Authority and Republican nominee for
lieutenant in 2022. Block is the founder of the Moderate Party of Rhode Island and former
Republican candidate for governor in 2014. Gotra is a businessman running as a candidate of
the Unaffiliated movement of Rhode Island. Reynolds is another Independent who has run in
several other Rhode Island elections, including the 2024 midterm election for US House of
Representatives for Rhode Island’s first district.
Foulkes is heavily favored in the race, as Republicans have not won a statewide election in
Rhode Island since 2006 and is considered a safely democratic state.
While there is not a debate planned yet for the two candidates, you can find their websites with
Foulkes’ platform linked here and Guckian’s platform linked here.
To vote in Rhode Island, you need to register to vote at least 30 days in advance, making the
cutoff for this year’s election October 4th. To register, you can do so through Brown Votes, an on
campus club that helps connect students with voting resources.
Even if you’re not register to vote in Rhode Island, you can still absentee vote in your home
state. Absentee and Mail-in voting rules differ by state so make sure you look at your state’s
specific rules and requirements.
If you are registered to vote in Rhode Island and plan to vote here, there are around 30
in-person polling places in Providence, but each person is assigned a polling place based on
their location. Check this link to find your polling place using the address you used on your voter
registration