2026 Midterms State GuideRhode Island
Hold on to your coffee milk and clam cakes.
- PrimaryStatewideSep. 9This date has passed.
- Election DayGeneralNov. 3
Updated
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
Your to-do list
0 of 3 doneImportant dates
- Sep. 9Primary This date has passed.
- Oct. 4Voter registration deadline
- Oct. 13Deadline to request a mail ballot
- Oct. 14 to Nov. 2Early in-person voting/emergency mail ballot period
- Nov. 3Election Day
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- Making quality, affordable healthcare accessible by protecting and strengthening Medicaid, boosting the healthcare workforce, and bringing care to the senior community.
- Creating and growing well-paying jobs by creating a thriving ocean economy, expanding Rhode Island businesses, and making it the best state to start a business.
- Supporting families by making childcare and Pre-K accessible and affordable, increasing the housing supply and boosting affordability, and investing in job-access transit routes.
- Top prioritiesAaron GuckianRepublican
- Making Rhode Island affordable by lowering the cost of living, expanding housing options, reducing barriers to construction, lowering utility expenses, and working to rein in healthcare costs.
- Rebuilding education and preparing the workforce for the future by prioritizing investments in public schools, teacher support, and career-ready pathways, including vocational training, technical programs, and partnerships with local employers.
- Improving healthcare by expanding training pipelines, offering incentives to attract and retain providers, cutting red tape, and ensuring Rhode Islanders can access quality care without long waits or high costs.
- Top priorities
Ken BlockIndependent- Suspending the truck toll program and vetoing any effort to expand it to automobiles.
- Prioritizing effective governance over social disputes.
- Lowering the cost of living by vetoing any legislative bill without a fiscal note.
- Top priorities
Jasjit GotraIndependent- Make Rhode Island profitable by publishing a state P&L in plain English, holding every agency to a budget, and treating every dollar of spending like an investment that has to earn its return.
- Honoring commitments to teachers and firefighters by fully funding pensions.
- Making the state business friendly by cutting the permitting delays, giving small businesses a direct seat at the table, and making Rhode Island the state where builders want to build again.
- 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 $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 $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 projectsWould 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 $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 $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 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.