Election Results: RI Primary 2018

The polls for the Rhode Island state primary close and results have started to pour in Check back here throughout the night and tomorrow for results as they come in.

Results

Governor Democrat: The New York Times has declared Gov. Gina Raimondo the winner of the Democratic primary for governor. Raimondo won with 57.2 percent of the vote compared to 33.5 percent for Matt Brown.

Governor Republican: Cranston Mayor Allan Fung has been declared the winner of the Republican primary for governor. Fung defeated Patricia Morgan 56.4 percent to 40.1 percent.

U.S. Senate Democrat: The New York Times declared U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse the winner of the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate less than a half hour after the polls closed. Whitehouse won 76.8 percent to 23.2 percent over Patricia Fontes.

U.S. Senate Republican: Robert Flanders has been declared the winner of the Republican primary for U.S. Senate. As of 8:27 p.m. Flanders won 87.7 percent to 12.3 percent over Rocky De La Fuente.

U.S. Representative District 1 Democrat: Rep. David Cicilline has been declared the winner of the Democratic primary. Cicilline won 78 percent to 22 percent over Christopher Young.

U.S. Representative District 1 Republican: Patrick Donovan has won the Republican primary. Donovan defeated Frederick Wysocki by 78.4 percent to 21.6 percent vote.

Lieutenant Governor Democrat: Daniel McKee has won the Democratic primary 51.1 percent to 48.9 percent over Aaron Regunberg.

State Senate District 30: Mark McKenney has defeated incumbent Sen. Jeanine Calkin in the Democratic primary. As of 10:13 p.m. Mckenney leads 55 percent to 45 percent.

State Senate District 1 Democrat: Maryellen Goodwin has been declared the winner of the Democratic primary. As of 9:06 p.m. she leads 76 percent to 24 perecent over Michael Guzman.

State Senate District 5 Democrat: Samuel Bell defeated defeated the incumbent Sen. Paul Jabour in the Democratic Primary. As of 9:00 a.m. Thursday, Bell leads 44 percent to 39 percent.

State Senate District 6 Democrat: Sen. Harold Metts was declared the winner of the Democratic primary. As of 9:03 a.m. Thursday, Metts leads over Jonathan Hernandez 53 percent to 26 percent.

State Senate District 7 Democrat: Sen. Frank Ciccone has been declared the winner of the Democratic Primary over Shannon Donahue. As of 9:oo a.m. Thursday Ciccone leads 70 percent to 30 percent.

State Senate District 14 Democrat: Valarie Lawson has won the Democratic primary over Delmar Condinho. Lawson won 58 percent to 42 percent.

State Senate District 22 Democrat: Sen. Steve Archambault has been declared the winner of the Democratic Primary over Melanie Dupont 62 percent to 38 percent.

State Senate District 23 Democrat: Kevin Heitke defeated Paul Roselli in the Democratic primary 52 percent to 48 percent according to the New York Times.

State Senate District 23 Republican: A winner has yet to be declared as results were extremely close. Jessica De La Cruz leads 50.5 percent to 49.5 percent over John Pacheco. The difference in votes is only 13.

State Senate District 24 Democrat: Melissa Murray has been declared the winner of the Democratic primary over Carol Frisk. As of 10:06 p.m. Murray leads 69 percent to 31 percent.

State Senate District 29 Democrat: Michael McCaffrey was declared the winner of the Democratic primary over Jennifer Rourke. As of 10:11 p.m. he leads 65 percent to 35 percent.

State Senate District 35 Democrat: Bridget Valverde has been declared the winner of the Democratic primary over Gregory Acciardo. As of 10:24 p.m. Valverde leads 84 percent to 15 percent.

State Senate District 36 Democrat: Sen. James Sheehan was declared the winner of the Democratic primary over Alana DiMario. As of 10:26 p.m. Sheehan leads 57 percent to 43 percent.

State Representative District 3 Democrat: Rep. Moira Walsh defeated Earnheart in the Democratic primary 55 percent to 45 percent.

State Representative District 4 Democrat: Rebecca Kislak was declared the winner of the Democratic primary over Mark Tracy. As of 9:21 a.m. Thursday, Kislak leads 68 percent to 32 percent.

State Representative District 5 Democrat: Marcia Ranglin-Vassell was declared the winner of the Democratic Primary. As of 9:23 a.m. Thursday, she leads 62 percent to 38 percent over Holly Coolman.

State Representative District 7 Democrat: Rep. Daniel McKiernan defeated Belen Florez and leads 54 percent to 46 percent as of 9:26 a.m. Thursday.

State Representative District 9 Democrat: Rep. Anastasia Williams was the declared the winner of the Democratic primary over Dwayne Keys. As of 9:29 a.m. Thursday, Williams leads 67 percent to 33 percent.

State Representative District 11 Democrat: Rep. Grace Diaz has won the Democratic primary. Her lead as of 9:31 a.m. Thursday over Laura Perez is 69 percent to 31 percent.

State Representative District 13 Democrat: Although a winner has not been declared Mario Mendez leads over incumbent Rep. Ramon Perez with 75 percent of the vote counted. As of 9:33 a.m. Mendez leads 53 percent to 47 percent.

State Representative District 21 Republican: Michael Underwood has been declared the winner of the Republican primary over Ronald Loparto. He won 66 percent to 34 percent.

State Representative District 26 Democrat: A winner has yet to be declared, but with 100 percent of the vote counted James Jackson leads with 39.1 percent of the vote over Jeanne-Marie Dimasi with 38.1 percent. The difference in votes is 11.

State Representative District 28 Democrat: Lucas Murray leads 51 percent to 49 percent over Scott Guthrie with all votes counted, but a winner has yet to be declared. The difference in votes is 24.

State Representative District 28 Republican: George Nardone has defeated Charles Vacca by a 65 percent to 35 percent margin.

State Representative District 33 Democrat: Rep. Carol McEntee defeated challenger Joseph Manning 80 percent to 20 percent.

State Representative District 47 Democrat: Rep. Cale Keable was declared the winner of the Democratic primary over Russell Jennings with a 76 percent to 24 percent vote.

State Representative District 58 Democrat: Rep. Carlos Tobon was declared the winner of the Democrtic primary. He defeated Jonathan Vallecilla 68 percent to 32 percent.

State Representative District 59 Democrat: Rep. Jean Philippe Barros defeated David Santagata 87 percent to 13 percent.

State Representative District 63 Democrat: Rep. Katherine Kazarian has been declared the winner of the Democratic primary over Elizabeth Clupny. Kazarian won 84 percent to 16 percent.

State Representative District 64 Democrat: The primary was so contested, that an official winner has yet to be declared. Rep. Jose R. Serodio leads 50.4 percent over David V. O'Connell with 49.6 percent. The difference in votes is 12.

State Representative District 66 Democrat: Liana Cassar defeated John Chung 63 percent to 37 percent.

State Representative District 68 Democrat: Laufton Ascencao has won the Democratic primary over Andrew Tyska 65 percent to 35 percent.

State Representative District 69 Democrat: Susan Donovan has won the Democratic primary over Leif Nygaard. Donovan won 80 percent to 20 percent.

Key Races

Much attention was focused on the governor's race, as Democratic incumbent Gov. Gina Raimondo, whose approval ratings as of July 2018 sat at 44 percent, faced a challenge from the left before competing against the GOP in the general election.

For the primary, Raimondo was up against former Rhode Island Secretary of State Matt Brown, who ran a progressive challenge. Brown's challenge was spirited but lacked the funding power of the incumbent. Raimondo raised $7.7 million, about 20 times as much as Brown.

Raimondo made her case for a second term by talking about improving economic conditions in the state. During the campaign she highlighted declining unemployment, new job training programs and free tuition for community colleges.

Brown last held office over a decade ago. He was pushing himself as a grassroots alternative, criticizing Raimondo for her close corporate ties. Brown supports a single-payer health care system, building more affordable housing and raising the minimum wage.

Brown received endorsements from activist groups and Raimondo critics, including Our Revolution, a group aligned with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and former Gov. Lincoln Chafee, a Republican-turned Democrat who has remained critical of his successor since leaving office.

Meanwhile, on the Republican side, Cranston Mayor Allan Fung, former State Sen. Giovanni Feroce and State Representative Patricia Morgan competed for the nomination.

Fung kept a low profile throughout the primary season. He laid out few detailed proposals and agreed to only one radio debate. Morgan leads the tiny House GOP caucus in an overwhelmingly Democratic House of Representatives.

Wednesday's winners now face a three-way race in the Nov. 6 general election, with former Republican lawmaker Joe Trillo running as an independent. Trillo chaired President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign in Rhode Island.

In the lieutenant governor's race, incumbent Democrat Dan McKee faced off against self-described progressive state lawmaker Aaron Regunberg. The position has few official duties, but those in office tend to use the position to advance certain causes on a statewide level.

Senate District 30 had the state's Democratic Party endors Mark McKenney over incumbent State Sen. Jeanine Calkin. McKenney will now run unopposed in the general election, since no Republican candidate qualified for the ballot.

U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse won his 2012 re-election bid by a 30-point margin after running unopposed in the Democratic primary. This year, he faced Hopkinton native Patricia Fontes.

On the Republican side two candidates were on the ballot, Roque De La Fuente and Robert Flanders Jr., who previously served as an associate justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

This isn't De La Fuente's first time running for U.S. Senate. He ran in California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Minnesota, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming, and is running in six states this election cycle. De La Fuente's eligibility was put into question because he lives in California, but the Rhode Island Board of Elections said he may run.

The First Congressional District saw incumbent four-term U.S. Rep. David Cicilline square off against Christopher Young. Young had previously run for U.S. Senate, Congress and mayor of Providence. On the Republican side, Patrick Donovan faces Frederick Wysocki.

What are the ballot questions?

There are three questions on the ballot this year, all of which ask if voters will approve additional state spending. Those will not be voted on until November.

A bond issue allowing additional spending for school buildings is Question 1 [pdf] for Rhode Island voters. The request is for $250 million in funds over five years with the caveat that no more than $100 million may be issued in a year. If approved, the authorized funds would go towards school housing aid and the School Building Authority Capital Fund.

Question 2 [pdf], the Rhode Island Higher Education Facilities Bond Measure, asks voters to approve $70 million in additional spending for new facilities at two Rhode Island colleges.
The bond would be divided as follows:

• $45 million to the University of Rhode Island Narragansett Bay Campus
• $25 million to the Rhode Island College School of Education and Human Development

Question 3 [pdf], the Rhode Island Environment, Recreation, and Water Infrastructure Bond Measure asks voters to approve $47.3 million of funding for various environmental, water and recreational projects. A simplified list of projects can be found here.

Photo credit: Paul Morigi / Stringer