2026 Midterms State GuideRhode Island
Hold on to your coffee milk and clam cakes.
Polls are closed
Polls are closed in Rhode Island, and results aren’t finalized yet.
Ballots are still being counted, close races can take days to call, and no result is official until it’s certified.
A prayer for Rhode Island
God Who Sees, thank You that the weighty cares of the smallest state do not escape Your notice. Strengthen voters who are overwhelmed by their ballots’ length or complexity. Give them wisdom to weigh each measure carefully, discernment in their choice, and the grace to trust You with the outcomes.
Read the whole prayerUpdated
Hi! It’s me, Shadrach. Apparently, I’m your civic guide today. If you’ve been complaining about how things are going (and I’ve heard you... the walls are thin), this guide will help you feel informed and able to vote in this year’s midterms. Now, hold on to your coffee milk and clam cakes, and let’s get into it.
Rhode Island at a glance
Rhode Island votes on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, for governor, U.S. Senate, both U.S. House seats and five statewide ballot measures.
- Election Day
- Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
- Voter registration
- Oct. 4: Voter registration deadline
- Early voting
- Oct. 14 to Nov. 2: Early in-person voting/emergency mail ballot period
- Governor
- 5 candidates
- U.S. Senate
- 3 candidates
- U.S. House
- 2 seats
- Statewide ballot measures
- 5
What happens next
The counting continues
Election-night numbers are unofficial. Mail, provisional, and military ballots are still being counted, so close races can take days to call.
Officials double-check the count
Local election officials review the ballots and the tallies (the canvass). A very close race can go to a recount.
Rhode Island certifies the results
Results become official once Rhode Island certifies them, usually a few weeks after Election Day.
Winners take office
The new Congress takes office in early January. Governors and other state officials take office on dates set by state law, most of them in January too.
Important dates
- Sep. 9Primary This date has passed.
- Oct. 4Voter registration deadline This date has passed.
- Oct. 13Deadline to request a mail ballot This date has passed.
- Oct. 14 to Nov. 2Early in-person voting/emergency mail ballot period This date has passed.
- Nov. 3Election Day This date has passed.
What’s at stake
Rhode Island has a governor’s race worth watching. Incumbent Gov. McKee (D) lost his primary to Helena Foulkes amid voter frustration with his handling of the Washington Bridge closure and broader concerns about housing and the cost of living. According to a 2026 University of Rhode Island poll, 64% of voters think lawmakers should prioritize the state housing crisis, and 62% believe high healthcare costs should be the priority. Rhode Islanders rank healthcare costs as the most worrisome household cost (above gas, groceries, and rent); 29% have skipped doctor-recommended treatments, evaluations, and procedures because of cost. Other issues of note: building and repairing roads and bridges (37%), education (30%), crime (26%), and aiding the poor (25%).
Who’s on your ballot
Tap a race to see the candidates.
Rhode Island is choosing a governor
See whose priorities line up with yours
Here are the top priorities each candidate lists, in their own words. Pick the 3 that matter most to you. Names stay hidden until you see your results.
0 of 3 picked
- Top priorities
Helena FoulkesDemocrat- Strengthening Medicaid, growing the health care workforce and expanding care for seniors
- Growing well-paying jobs through an ocean economy and support for Rhode Island businesses
- Making child care and pre-K affordable and increasing the housing supply
- Top prioritiesAaron GuckianRepublican
- Lowering the cost of living by expanding housing and reducing utility and health care costs
- Investing in public schools, teacher support and vocational training
- Attracting and keeping health care providers so Rhode Islanders can get care without long waits
- Top priorities
Ken BlockIndependent- Cutting hidden taxes, fees and surcharges, starting with government-imposed costs on electric bills
- Barring auto insurers from using credit scores to set rates and cutting cell-phone taxes
- Stopping the return of truck tolls and opposing tolls on passenger vehicles
- Top priorities
Jasjit GotraIndependent- Publishing a plain-English state profit-and-loss statement and holding every agency to a budget
- Fully funding pensions for teachers and firefighters
- Cutting permitting delays and giving small businesses a direct voice in state government
- Christopher ReynoldsIndependent
- Get to know ’em
Raymond McKayRepublican - Get to know ’em
Michael BahryIndependent
All U.S. House of Representatives seats are up for election every two years. Find your district here.
- Shadrach’s big picture
Rhode Islanders will elect two candidates to represent them in the U.S. House. Democrats are expected to hold both seats.
- Open seats
None.
- Competitive districts
Neither of Rhode Island’s two districts is considered competitive; both are solidly Democratic. Candidates in both parties filed to run in both districts, so nothing is guaranteed, but a Republican hasn’t won a House seat since 1992.
Statewide ballot measures
5 to read before you go. Tap one to open it.
Would issue $275M to fund the construction and improvement of higher education facilities, including: 1) $165M to fund the construction of a new integrated health building for the University of Rhode Island; 2) $60M to fund the construction of a workforce innovation center at the Community College of Rhode Island, Warwick campus; and 3) $50M to fund the construction of a student success and career readiness center at Rhode Island College.
Voting yessupports letting the state borrow $275M from investors, repaid with interest, for a new University of Rhode Island health building, a workforce innovation center at CCRI’s Warwick campus, and a career readiness center at Rhode Island CollegeVoting noopposes this borrowing, so the state would not issue the $275M in bonds for these projectsWould issue $120M to fund the construction and development of affordable housing projects.
Voting yessupports letting the state borrow $120M from investors, repaid with interest, for building and developing affordable housingVoting noopposes this borrowing, so the state would not issue the $120M in bonds for these projectsWould issue $100M to fund infrastructure and economic development projects, including: 1) $55M to fund site development and infrastructure improvements; and 2) $45M to fund infrastructure improvements to support the state's oceans.
Voting yessupports letting the state borrow $100M from investors, repaid with interest, for site development, infrastructure improvements, and infrastructure supporting the state’s oceansVoting noopposes this borrowing, so the state would not issue the $100M in bonds for these projectsWould issue $50M to fund cultural and historical projects, including: 1) $45M to fund the construction of a new Rhode Island State History Center; and 2) $5M to fund matching grants administered by the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission.
Voting yessupports letting the state borrow $50M from investors, repaid with interest, for a new Rhode Island State History Center and historic preservation matching grantsVoting noopposes this borrowing, so the state would not issue the $50M in bonds for these projectsWould issue $55M to fund environmental preservation, recreational facilities, and water infrastructure projects.
Voting yessupports letting the state borrow $55M from investors, repaid with interest, for environmental preservation, recreational facilities, and water infrastructureVoting noopposes this borrowing, so the state would not issue the $55M in bonds for these projects
Also on the ballot
Other races Rhode Island voters will decide.
- Lieutenant Governor
- Attorney General
- Secretary of State
- Treasurer
- State Senate
- State House
- Municipal government
Whose job is it?
Ten things government does. Tap the office that does each one.
Whose job is it to…
1 of 10
Declare a state of emergency after a hurricane or flood?
Pass it on
Know someone voting in Rhode Island?
Send them the guide. It takes one tap, and it saves them an evening of arguing in a group chat.
A prayer for Rhode Island
God Who Sees, thank You that the weighty cares of the smallest state do not escape Your notice. Strengthen voters who are overwhelmed by their ballots’ length or complexity. Give them wisdom to weigh each measure carefully, discernment in their choice, and the grace to trust You with the outcomes.
May candidates run with integrity and not with contempt for those who oppose them. Surround the winners with wise counsel and guide them toward decisions that serve their constituents. Comfort those who lose, and give them grace in their words and deeds.
Draw near to Rhode Islanders tempted toward anxiety, anger, or despair. Guard their hearts with a peace that this political moment cannot give. Open doors for believers to share the good news that no candidate or ballot decision usurps Your sovereignty or thwarts Your good purposes.
Amen.