Governor of Rhode Island
| Rhode Island Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $163,295 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $8,471,265 |
| Term limits: | Two consecutive terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Rhode Island Constitution, Article IX, Section I |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Governor of Rhode Island Daniel McKee | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other Rhode Island Executive Offices | |
| Governor •Lieutenant Governor •Secretary of State •Attorney General •Treasurer •Superintendent of Education •Agriculture Commissioner •Insurance Commissioner •Natural Resources Commissioner •Labor Commissioner •Public Service Commission | |
TheGovernor of the State of Rhode Island is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office inRhode Island. The Governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two consecutive terms.[1]
Rhode Island has a Democratictrifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.
Rhode Island has a Democratictriplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Current officeholder
The current Governor of Rhode Island isDaniel McKee (D). McKee assumed office in 2021.
Authority
Thestate Constitution addresses the office of the governor inArticle IX, the Executive Department.
Under Article IX, Section I:
The chief executive power of this state shall be vested in a governor...[1] |
Qualifications
UnderArticle III, Of Qualification for Office, governors must:
- be qualified electors of Rhode Island
- not be serving a sentence for, on probation for, or on parole for any felony
- not be bound by any other oath of Office, including holding any other state office or holding a federal office[1]
Vacancies
Details of vacancy appointments are addressed underArticle IX, Sections 9 and 10.
If the office of the governor becomes vacant by reason of death, resignation, impeachment, or inability to serve, thelieutenant governor will fill the office until a governor is qualified to act or until the office is filled at the next election.
If the office of the lieutenant governor is also vacant, the speaker of thehouse is the next in the line of succession.
Duties
The governor is responsible for maintaining that laws are executed according to state law and thestate constitution (§ 2).
Additionally, the governor is the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces (§ 3); has the responsibility to submit thestate budget to General Assembly annually (§ 19), and may call for special sessions with the Assembly (§ 7).
Other duties and privileges of the office include:
- Appointing, with the consent of theSenate, all offices not otherwise provided for (§ 5)
- Adjourning the General Assembly when its members cannot agree to do so themselves (§ 6)
- Signing and sealing all commissions made by the state of Rhode Island (§ 8)
- Granting reprieves, after conviction, in all cases, except those of impeachment, until the end of the next session of theGeneral Assembly (§ 4)
- Granting pardons, after conviction, in all cases, except those of impeachment, until the end of the next session of theGeneral Assembly (§ 13)
- Vetoing bills, resolutions, and votes, subject to a two-thirds legislative override (§ 14)[1]
Elections
Rhode Island elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not presidential election years. For Rhode Island, 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030, and 2034 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Tuesday in the January following an election.[1]
Term limits
Rhode Island governors are restricted to two consecutive terms in office, after which they must wait one term before being eligible to run again.
Rhode Island Constitution, Article IV, Section 1
| “ | No person shall serve consecutively in the same general office for more than two (2) full terms, excluding any partial term of less than two (2) years previously served.[1][2] | ” |
Partisan composition
The chart below shows the partisan breakdown of Rhode Island governors from 1992 to 2013.
2022
General election
General election for Governor of Rhode Island
IncumbentDaniel McKee defeatedAshley Kalus,Zachary Baker Hurwitz,Paul Rianna Jr., andElijah Gizzarelli in the general election for Governor of Rhode Island on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Daniel McKee (D) | 57.9 | 207,166 |
 | Ashley Kalus (R) | 38.9 | 139,001 | |
 | Zachary Baker Hurwitz (Independent)  | 1.3 | 4,512 | |
 | Paul Rianna Jr. (Independent) | 0.9 | 3,123 | |
 | Elijah Gizzarelli (L) | 0.8 | 2,811 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 1,057 | ||
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 357,670 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- James Aubin (L)
- Christopher Reynolds (Independent)
- Richard Spinney (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Rhode Island
IncumbentDaniel McKee defeatedHelena Foulkes,Nellie Gorbea,Matt Brown, andLuis Daniel Muñoz in the Democratic primary for Governor of Rhode Island on September 13, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Daniel McKee | 32.8 | 37,288 |
 | Helena Foulkes | 29.9 | 33,931 | |
 | Nellie Gorbea | 26.2 | 29,811 | |
 | Matt Brown | 7.9 | 9,021 | |
 | Luis Daniel Muñoz | 3.1 | 3,547 | |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 113,598 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Kalilu Camara (D)
- Seth Magaziner (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Rhode Island
Ashley Kalus defeatedJonathan Riccitelli in the Republican primary for Governor of Rhode Island on September 13, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ashley Kalus | 83.7 | 17,188 |
 | Jonathan Riccitelli | 16.3 | 3,351 | |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 20,539 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Emmanuel Adjei (R)
- Michael Costa (R)
- David Darlington (R)
- Rey Herrera (R)
Past elections
Divisions
Note:Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Governor of Rhode Island has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, pleaseemail us.
State budget
Role in state budget
The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[3]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies inJuly of the year preceding the start of the new fiscal year.
- Agencies submit their budget requests to thegovernor byOctober 1.
- Agency hearings are held inNovember and December.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to thestate legislature inJanuary. A newly elected governor has until thefirst Thursday in February.
- The legislature typically adopts a budget inJune. The fiscal year beginsJuly 1.
In Rhode Island, the governor has no veto authority over the budget.[3]
The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the legislature is required to pass a balanced budget.[3]
Governor's office budget
The budget for the Governor's office in Fiscal Year 2025 was $8,471,265.[4]
Compensation
See statutes:Title 36, Chapter 6, Section 1 of the Rhode Island General Laws
The governor's salary is fixed by law, pursuant toArticle IX, Section 11 of theRhode Island Constitution, which stipulates that the governor's salary shall not be increased or diminished effective during his elected term. As prescribed by Title 36, Chapter 6, Section 1 of the Rhode Island General Laws (§ 36-6-1), the governor's annual compensation is subject to "adjustments beginning of each succeeding term by the total percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) published by the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics for the Northeast Region for the four (4) previous fiscal years, but in any event not to exceed twelve percent (12%)."[5]
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $163,295, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[6]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $145,755, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[7]
2021
In 2021, the governor received a salary of $145,755, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[8]
2020
In 2020, the governor’s salary was $145,755, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[9]
2019
In 2019, the governor’s salary was $145,755, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[10]
2018
In 2018, the governor’s salary was $139,695, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[11]
2017
In 2017, the governor’s salary was $132,710, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[12]
2016
In 2016, the governor’s salary was increased to $132,710, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[13]
2015
In 2015, the governor received a salary of $129,210, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[14]
2014
In 2014, the governor received a salary of $129,210, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[15]
2013
In 2013, the governor's salary remained at $129,210.[16]
Historical officeholders
There have been 76 governors of Rhode Island since 1775. Of the 76 officeholders, 32 were Republicans, 20 were Democrats, 9 had no party, 7 were Whigs, 5 were F-R, 1 was Democratic-Republican, 1 was DFS, and 1 was AP.[17]
| List of officeholders from 1775-present | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | Nicholas Cooke | 1775 - 1778 | No Party | ||
| 2 | William Greene | 1778 - 1786 | No Party | ||
| 3 | John Collins | 1786 - 1790 | No Party | ||
| 4 | Arthur Fenner | 1790 - 1805 | F-R | ||
| 5 | Henry Smith | 1805 - 1806 | No Party | ||
| 6 | Isaac Wilbour | 1806 - 1807 | No Party | ||
| 7 | James Fenner | 1807 - 1811 | F-R | ||
| 8 | William Jones | 1811 - 1817 | F-R | ||
| 9 | Nehemiah Rice Knight | 1817 - 1821 | F-R | ||
| 10 | Edward Cox | 1821 - 1821 | No Party | ||
| 11 | William Channing Gibbs | 1821 - 1824 | No Party | ||
| 12 | James Fenner | 1824 – 1831 | F-R | ||
| 13 | Lemuel Hastings Arnold | 1831 - 1833 | No Party | ||
| 14 | John Brown Francis | 1833 - 1838 | Democratic-Republican | ||
| 15 | William Sprague | 1838 - 1839 | Whig | ||
| 16 | Samuel King | 1839 - 1843 | Whig | ||
| 17 | James Fenner | 1843 – 1845 | Whig | ||
| 18 | Charles Jackson | 1845 - 1846 | Whig | ||
| 19 | Byron Diman | 1846 - 1847 | Whig | ||
| 20 | Elisha Harris | 1847 - 1849 | Whig | ||
| 21 | Henry Bowen Anthony | 1849 - 1851 | Whig | ||
| 22 | Phillip Allen | 1851 - 1853 | DFS | ||
| 23 | Francis M. Dimond | 1853 - 1854 | No Party | ||
| 24 | William Warner Hoppin | 1854 - 1857 | AP | ||
| 25 | Elisha Dyer | 1857 - 1859 |  Republican | ||
| 26 | Thomas Goodwin Turner | 1859 - 1860 | Republican | ||
| 27 | William Sprague | 1860 - 1863 | Republican | ||
| 28 | William Cole Cozzens | 1863 - 1863 |  Democratic | ||
| 29 | James Youngs Smith | 1863 - 1866 | Republican | ||
| 30 | Ambrose Everett Burnside | 1866 - 1869 | Republican | ||
| 31 | Seth Padelford | 1869 - 1873 | Republican | ||
| 32 | Henry Howard | 1873 - 1875 | Republican | ||
| 33 | Henry Lippitt | 1875 - 1877 | Republican | ||
| 34 | Charles Collins Van Zandt | 1877 - 1880 | Republican | ||
| 35 | Alfred Henry Littlefield | 1880 - 1883 | Republican | ||
| 36 | Augustus Osborn Bourn | 1883 - 1885 | Republican | ||
| 37 | George Peabody Wetmore | 1885 - 1887 | Republican | ||
| 38 | John William Davis | 1887 - 1888 | Democratic | ||
| 39 | Royal Chapin Taft | 1888 - 1889 | Republican | ||
| 40 | Herbert Warren Ladd | 1889 - 1890 | Republican | ||
| 41 | John William Davis | 1890 – 1891 | Democratic | ||
| 42 | Herbert Warren Ladd | 1891 – 1892 | Republican | ||
| 43 | Daniel Russell Brown | 1892 - 1895 | Republican | ||
| 44 | Charles Warren Lippitt | 1895 - 1897 | Republican | ||
| 45 | Elisha Dyer | 1897 - 1900 | Republican | ||
| 46 | William Gregory | 1900 - 1901 | Republican | ||
| 47 | Charles Dean Kimball | 1901 - 1903 | Republican | ||
| 48 | Lucius Fayette Clark Garvin | 1903 - 1905 | Democratic | ||
| 49 | George Herbert Utter | 1905 - 1907 | Republican | ||
| 50 | James Henry Higgins | 1907 - 1909 | Democratic | ||
| 51 | Aram Pothier | 1909 - 1915 | Republican | ||
| 52 | Robert Livingston Beeckman | 1915 - 1921 | Republican | ||
| 53 | Emery J. San Souci | 1921 - 1923 | Republican | ||
| 54 | William Smith Flynn | 1923 - 1925 | Democratic | ||
| 55 | Aram Pothier | 1925 – 1928 | Republican | ||
| 56 | Norman Stanley Case | 1928 - 1933 | Republican | ||
| 57 | Theodore Francis Green | 1933 - 1937 | Democratic | ||
| 58 | Robert Emmet Quinn | 1937 - 1939 | Democratic | ||
| 59 | William Henry Vanderbilt | 1939 - 1941 | Republican | ||
| 60 | James Howard McGrath | 1941 - 1945 | Democratic | ||
| 61 | John Orlando Pastore | 1945 - 1950 | Democratic | ||
| 62 | John Sammon McKiernan | 1950 - 1951 | Democratic | ||
| 63 | Dennis Joseph Roberts | 1951 - 1959 | Democratic | ||
| 64 | Christopher Del Sesto | 1959 - 1961 | Republican | ||
| 65 | John A. Notte | 1961 - 1963 | Democratic | ||
| 66 | John Hubbard Chafee | 1963 - 1969 | Republican | ||
| 67 | Frank Licht | 1969 - 1973 | Democratic | ||
| 68 | Philip W. Noel | 1973 - 1977 | Democratic | ||
| 69 | J. Joseph Garrahy | 1977 - 1984 | Democratic | ||
| 70 | Edward D. DiPrete | 1985 - 1991 | Republican | ||
| 71 | Bruce G. Sundlun | 1991 - 1995 | Democratic | ||
| 72 | Lincoln Almond | 1995 - 2003 | Republican | ||
| 73 | Don Carcieri | 2003 - 2011 | Republican | ||
| 74 | Lincoln Chafee | 2011 – 2015 | Democratic | ||
| 75 | Gina Raimondo | 2015-2021 | Democratic | ||
| 76 | Daniel McKee | 2021-present | Democratic | ||
History
Partisan balance 1992-2013
From 1992-2013, in Rhode Island there were Democratic governors in office for three years while there were Republican governors in office for 16 years.
Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82%) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27%) from 1992 to 2013.
Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.
The chart below shows the partisan composition of theOffice of the Governor of Rhode Island, theRhode Island State Senate and theRhode Island House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
.PNG)
SQLI and partisanship
The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Rhode Island state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Rhode Island had a Democratic trifecta in the early years of the study, from 1992-1994, but after that maintained a divided government. The state's best SQLI ranking, finishing 26th, occurred in 2002. In more recent years of the study, Rhode Island's ranking fell, finishing in the bottom-10 at 41st in both 2009 and 2011.
State profile
| Demographic data for Rhode Island | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 1,055,607 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 1,034 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 81.1% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 6.5% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 3.2% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.8% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 13.6% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 86.2% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 31.9% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $56,852 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 17.3% | 11.3% |
| Source:U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Clickhere for more information on the 2020 census andhere for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Rhode Island. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the censushere. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
Rhode Islandvoted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted forDonald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting forBarack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won thesePivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Rhode Island, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties.[18]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won asRetained Pivot Counties and those won byJoe Biden (D) asBoomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Rhode Island had one Boomerang Pivot County, 4.00 percent of all Boomerang Pivot Counties.
More Rhode Island coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Rhode Island
- United States congressional delegations from Rhode Island
- Public policy in Rhode Island
- Endorsers in Rhode Island
- Rhode Island fact checks
- More...
Contact information
Office of the Governor
82 Smith Street
Providence, RI 02903
Phone:401-222-2080
Fax:401-222-8096
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑1.01.11.21.31.41.5State of Rhode Island General Assembly, "Rhode Island State Constitution," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑3.03.13.2National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑Rhode Island Legislature, "2024 -- H 7225 Substitute A as Amended," accessed January 22, 2025
- ↑Justia.com, "2014 Rhode Island General Laws: Title 36 - Public Officers and Employees: Chapter 36-6 - Salaries and Traveling Expenses: Section 36-6-1 - Salary of governor," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 2025
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries," June 25, 2013
- ↑National Governors Association, "Former Rhode Island Governors," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip ofAtlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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