RI-GOV: How low can McKee go? Poor polling numbers continue to dog sitting governor

Gov. Dan McKee can’t score a win with Rhode Islanders, with seven in 10 people disapproving of his job performance and almost as many saying he does not deserve to be reelected, according to results of a University of New Hampshire (UNH) survey published Monday.

The Ocean State Poll out of the UNH Survey Center surveyed 737 residents, including 666 likely general election voters. It comes two weeks after a separate University of Rhode Island survey showed equally unfavorable ratings for the incumbent Democratic governor. The UNH survey also suggests more Democratic voters prefer McKee’s Democratic rival, former CVS executive Helena Buonanno Foulkes, over him in a hypothetical 2026 gubernatorial primary, though most voters remain undecided.

The margin of error in the survey overall was 3.6%, though questions specific to Democratic primary voters have a 5.9% margin of error.

“Rhode Islanders don’t need more political jockeying — they need results,” Christina Freundlich, a spokesperson for McKee’s reelection campaign, said in an email Monday. “Governor McKee is laser-focused on fighting for Rhode Island working families and standing up to extremism in Washington. That’s the kind of leadership that delivered fewer school absences, reduced overdose deaths, and strong economic growth to our state over the last four years — and that’s why Rhode Islanders can count on him to keep delivering in the years ahead.”


https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/09/29/how-low-can-mckee-go-poor-polling-numbers-continue-to-dog-sitting-governor/