Helena Foulkes, former president of CVS Pharmacy, won the Democratic primary for governor on Sept. 9, according to the Associated Press.
Foulkes defeated incumbent Gov. Dan McKee, making McKee the first sitting governor of Rhode Island to lose a primary for reelection since 1994. He’s also the first sitting governor of any U.S. state to lose a primary in eight years.
Foulkes narrowly lost the 2022 primary to McKee but has led him dramatically in polls this year. Her campaign highlighted priorities centering affordability for Rhode Islanders. The plan proposes policies such as raising Medicaid reimbursement rates and implementing a new tax bracket for millionaires to fund the construction of new housing.
Foulkes graduated from Harvard College in 1986 and worked in investment banking before beginning a 25-year career at CVS, which is based in R.I., her home state. During her time as an executive there, she led the decision to stop selling tobacco products at CVS locations across the country. She has also served on the boards of the Home Depot, Salesforce and Costco Wholesale, among other companies.
She has been endorsed by 18 Democratic city committees, including the state’s three most populous cities: Providence, Warwick and Cranston. She has also received endorsements from R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha P’19 P’22 and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-C.A. 11).
While Foulkes has never served in political office, her opponent’s four years in the State House were dogged by controversies including the sudden 2023 closure of the Washington Bridge and the dramatic 2025 service cuts to Rhode Island Public Transit Authority bus routes.
Foulkes will face the winner of the Republican primary in the state’s general election on Nov. 3.
Michelle Bi is a metro editor covering City Hall & Crime and State Politics & Justice. She is a junior from Oak Park, CA and studies English and IAPA. In her free time, you can find her playing guitar, the LA Times crossword or one of her 115 Spotify playlists.
