Dan McKee | |
|---|---|
 McKee in 2022 | |
| 76th Governor of Rhode Island | |
| Assumed office March 2, 2021 | |
| Lieutenant | Sabina Matos |
| Preceded by | Gina Raimondo |
| 69th Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island | |
| In office January 6, 2015 – March 2, 2021 | |
| Governor | Gina Raimondo |
| Preceded by | Elizabeth Roberts |
| Succeeded by | Sabina Matos |
| Mayor ofCumberland | |
| In office January 7, 2007 – January 6, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | David Iwuc |
| Succeeded by | William Murray |
| In office January 2001 – January 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Frank Gaschen |
| Succeeded by | David Iwuc |
| Member of the Cumberland Town Council | |
| In office 1992–1998 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Daniel J. McKee (1951-06-16)June 16, 1951 (age 73) Cumberland, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Susan McGill |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Assumption University (BA) Harvard University (MPA) |
| Website | Government website |
Daniel J. McKee (born June 16, 1951) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 76thgovernor of Rhode Island since 2021. A member of theDemocratic Party, he also served as Rhode Island's 69thlieutenant governor from 2015 to 2021.
Born inCumberland, Rhode Island, McKee received his undergraduate degree fromAssumption College and received his master's degree from theHarvard Kennedy School. He served on theCumberlandtown council from 1992 to 1998 and as mayor of Cumberland twice, from 2000 to 2004 and from 2006 until 2014.[1] McKee was elected lieutenant governor in 2014 and reelected in 2018. When GovernorGina Raimondo resigned upon being confirmed asUnited States Secretary of Commerce in 2021, McKee ascended to the governorship.[2] He was elected to a full termin 2022.
After graduating fromCumberland High School, McKee received a Bachelor of Arts in education and political science fromAssumption College inWorcester, Massachusetts in 1973. He earned aMaster of Public Administration from theHarvard Kennedy School in 2005.[3]
McKee was an officer of McKee Brothers, a heating, air conditioning, and home heating oil delivery business his grandfather founded.[4] He also ran a health and fitness business for more than 30 years.[4]
During his time on theCumberland, Rhode Island Town Council (1992–1998), McKee was also a basketball coach.[citation needed]
McKee served six terms as Cumberland's mayor.[5]
McKee has been a member of the board of directors of theBoys and Girls Club of Cumberland-Lincoln for over 25 years, serving as past president of the executive board and chair of the endowment committee.[citation needed]
In 2013, McKee announced his candidacy forRhode island lieutenant governor, defeatingSecretary of State of Rhode IslandRalph Mollis and State RepresentativeFrank Ferri in theDemocratic primary.[6] In the general election, he defeatedRepublican Catherine Terry Taylor, a legislative aide and speechwriter for U.S. SenatorsJohn Chafee andLincoln Chafee,[7] with 54.3% of the vote. He was reelected in 2018.[8]
On January 7, 2021, President-electJoe Biden selected then-Rhode Island GovernorGina Raimondo asSecretary of Commerce. Since McKee was next in line of succession, he became governor once Raimondo was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on March 2, 2021.[9]
In February 2021, McKee began to form aCOVID-19 advisory board.[10] He had criticized the Raimondo administration over a slow COVID-19 vaccine rollout.[11]
McKee was sworn in as the 76thgovernor of Rhode Island on March 2, 2021.[12]
On February 22, 2022, McKee announced that he was running for reelection to a full four-year term.[13] He won the September 13 Democratic primary, defeating four challengers in a close race. He defeated Republican nominee Ashley Kalus in thegeneral election.[14]
In 2021, during theCOVID-19 pandemic in Rhode Island, McKee said his main priority was to advance COVID-19 vaccine rollout and contain the outbreak.[15] By July 4, Rhode Island had fully vaccinated over 633,000 people, 70% of its eligible adult population.[16] It was the fifth state to reach that milestone.[16] Also in July, McKee terminated the state mask mandate, but extended the COVID-19 emergency declaration to August 6, citing the prevalence of the highly transmissibleDelta variant.[17] On February 8, 2022, McKee announced that Rhode Island would liftmask mandates as the infection rate fell.[citation needed]
In September 2021, McKee signed legislation that reclassified simple possession of 10 grams or less of certain controlled substances as a misdemeanor rather than a felony in Rhode Island. He signed the legislation atProject Weber/RENEW's office.[18]
McKee supports gun control and says he would support an assault weapons ban.[19]
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Dan McKee | 4,390 | 61.48 | |
| Democratic | Francis Gaschen | 2,750 | 38.52 | |
| Total votes | 7,140 | 100 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Dan McKee | 11,625 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 11,625 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dan McKee (incumbent) | 9,131 | 81.94 | |
| Independent | Julian Pytka | 2,012 | 18.06 | |
| Total votes | 11,143 | 100 | ||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | David Iwuc | 2,666 | 54.98 | |
| Democratic | Dan McKee (incumbent) | 2,183 | 45.02 | |
| Total votes | 4,849 | 100 | ||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Dan McKee | 4,331 | 62.33 | |
| Democratic | David Iwuc (incumbent) | 2,666 | 37.67 | |
| Total votes | 6,997 | 100 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Dan McKee | 10,612 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 10,612 | 100 | ||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Dan McKee (incumbent) | 3,871 | 64.40 | |
| Democratic | David Iwuc | 2,140 | 35.60 | |
| Total votes | 6,011 | 100 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Dan McKee (incumbent) | 12,650 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 12,650 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dan McKee (incumbent) | 8,091 | 63.95 | |
| Independent | David Iwuc | 4,562 | 36.05 | |
| Total votes | 12,653 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dan McKee (incumbent) | 12,667 | 96.55 | |
| Write-in | 452 | 3.45 | ||
| Total votes | 13,119 | 100 | ||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Dan McKee | 48,634 | 43.47 | |
| Democratic | Ralph Mollis | 40,208 | 35.94 | |
| Democratic | Frank Ferri | 23,029 | 20.59 | |
| Total votes | 111,871 | 100 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Dan McKee | 169,078 | 54.29 | |
| Republican | Catherine Terry Taylor | 105,305 | 33.81 | |
| Moderate | William H. Gilbert | 25,951 | 8.33 | |
| Libertarian | Tony Jones | 10,221 | 3.28 | |
| Write-in | 906 | 0.29 | ||
| Total votes | 311,461 | 100 | ||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Dan McKee (incumbent) | 57,983 | 51.09 | |
| Democratic | Aaron Regunberg | 55,517 | 48.91 | |
| Total votes | 133,500 | 100 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Dan McKee (incumbent) | 226,528 | 61.87 | |
| Republican | Paul Pence | 106,505 | 29.09 | |
| Moderate | Joel Hellmann | 11,332 | 3.10 | |
| Independent | Jonathan J. Riccitelli | 9,866 | 2.70 | |
| Independent | Ross K. McCurdy | 9,408 | 2.57 | |
| Write-in | 2,513 | 0.69 | ||
| Total votes | 366,152 | 100 | ||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Dan McKee (incumbent) | 37,288 | 32.8 | |
| Democratic | Helena Foulkes | 33,931 | 29.9 | |
| Democratic | Nellie Gorbea | 29,811 | 26.2 | |
| Democratic | Matt Brown | 9,021 | 7.9 | |
| Democratic | Luis Daniel Muñoz | 3,547 | 3.1 | |
| Total votes | 113,598 | 100 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Dan McKee (incumbent) | 207,166 | 57.9 | |
| Republican | Ashley Kalus | 139,001 | 38.9 | |
| Independent | Zachary Hurwitz | 4,512 | 1.3 | |
| Independent | Paul Rianna | 3,123 | 0.9 | |
| Libertarian | Elijah Gizzarelli | 2,811 | 0.8 | |
| Write-in | 1,057 | 0.3 | ||
| Total votes | 357,670 | 100 | ||
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island 2015–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Rhode Island 2021–present | Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Rhode Island 2022 | Most recent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byasVice President | Order of precedence of the United States Within Rhode Island | Succeeded by Mayor of city in which event is held |
| Succeeded by OtherwiseMike Johnson asSpeaker of the House | ||
| Preceded byasGovernor of North Carolina | Order of precedence of the United States Outside Rhode Island | Succeeded byasGovernor of Vermont |
Statewide political officials ofRhode Island | ||
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| U.S. senators |  | |
| State government | ||
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| House |
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| Supreme Court (appointed) |
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