Race · November 3, 2026
Governor · Rhode Island
5 candidates on the ballot — an open seat, with no incumbent running.1
§1Candidates
Why this matters: Every candidate the state lists for this race on the November ballot, in the state's own order.
§2Side by side
Why this matters: The same facts for every candidate, in the same order. Where we found nothing for a candidate, the cell says so — that means we didn't find it in public sources, not that it doesn't exist.
| Fact | Aaron Christopher Guckian | Helena Buonanno Foulkes | Kenneth J Block | Jasjit S Gotra | C D Reynolds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party on the ballot | Republican1 | Democrat1 | Independent1 | Independent1 | Independent1 |
| Status | Open seat | Open seat | Open seat | Open seat | Open seat |
| Money | Candidates for governor file campaign-finance reports with the state, not the FEC, so this guide doesn't include their fundraising. Search the state's reports: Campaign finance electronic reporting and tracking system (public site) — Rhode Island Board of Elections.2 | ||||
| Tariffs | His campaign website's shipbuilding plan calls for strict Buy American enforcement and defense tariffs so that parts for ships and submarines built in Rhode Island are made by American workers.3 | Her housing plan says tariffs are raising the cost of building homes and says she would work with regional and federal partners to press Congress and the Trump administration to remove tariffs on essential building materials, such as lumber, and on allies including Canada.4 | Not found in the public sources we checked | Not found in the public sources we checked | Not found in the public sources we checked |
| State clean electricity targets | Not found in the public sources we checked | Her energy plan opposes rolling back the state's Renewable Energy Standard and calls for a long-term energy and emissions plan that the state sticks to.5 | Delay, loosen or repeal the targets His campaign website says he would work with lawmakers to push back the state's goal of 100% renewable energy from 2033 to 2040, and would work with the state's utility and energy regulators on a plan to end subsidies for out-of-state renewable projects and move that money to clean energy projects in Rhode Island.6 | Not found in the public sources we checked | Not found in the public sources we checked |
| State government spending | His campaign website says his plan includes targeted tax relief, fewer hidden fees and cuts to wasteful government spending, and that he would make sure every tax dollar is spent responsibly.7 | Not found in the public sources we checked | His campaign website says the state budget has nearly doubled in ten years, that $15 billion should be more than enough, and that he would stop spending money on poorly run projects.6 | His campaign website says he would run state government like a business, cut waste, hold every agency to a budget and publish a plain-English state profit-and-loss statement, with no new taxes.8 | Not found in the public sources we checked |
| State income tax | Not found in the public sources we checked | Add or raise taxes on the highest incomes (for example, a tax on income over $1 million) Her housing plan proposes a millionaire's tax, an added 3% income tax bracket on incomes of $1 million and above, to pay for a revolving loan fund meant to build more than 20,000 homes and apartments.4 | His campaign website says he would veto a millionaire's tax if the legislature passed one, and that he would work with lawmakers to end the state income tax on Social Security benefits.6 | His campaign website says he would fully eliminate Rhode Island's tax on Social Security benefits within his first two years in office.8, | Not found in the public sources we checked |
Issues only one candidate has addressed
By candidate, in ballot order. We found nothing public from the other candidates in this race on these issues.
Aaron Christopher Guckian — 1 issue
- State K-12 school fundingHis campaign website says he would prioritize investments in public schools, support for teachers and career pathways such as vocational and technical training.7
Helena Buonanno Foulkes — 6 issues
- Campaign finance rulesHer ethics plan proposes banning gifts and donations from registered lobbyists to statewide elected officials, state legislators and candidates for those offices from one week before and during each legislative session, and requiring weekly public reports of lobbyists' meetings with legislators during the session.10
- Data centers and electricity costsRequire data centers to pay the full cost of the power plants and lines they needHer energy plan says Rhode Island should require heavy energy users, such as large data centers, to pay their own way so that other customers are not left with the bill.5
- Offshore wind powerHer energy plan says she would push back against the Trump administration's efforts to shut down wind energy in Rhode Island and that the state should invest more, not less, in wind and solar power.5
- Child care costsHer plan for working families proposes a $20 million pilot of a child care fund matched by employers, larger state tax credits for child care, and pre-kindergarten access for every family by the end of her second term.11
- Large investors buying single-family homesHer housing plan calls for more state oversight of large institutional buyers of homes and for exploring penalties and fees to discourage Wall Street speculation on Rhode Island homes.4
- Replacing lost federal fundingHer health care plan says the state cannot sit idly by as federal cuts threaten Medicaid coverage, and proposes a state-funded navigator program, modeled on the Affordable Care Act's, to help eligible Rhode Islanders keep their coverage, along with further increases in Medicaid payment rates to narrow the gap with Massachusetts and Connecticut.12
Kenneth J Block — 2 issues
- Health insurance systemKeep the current mix of private and public coverage, including the ACAHis campaign website says he will not take any action as governor that undermines the Affordable Care Act, supports provisions such as letting young adults stay on a parent's plan until 26 and covering people with pre-existing conditions, and would explore a regional health insurance marketplace with the other New England states.6
- State sales taxesHis campaign website says he would work to significantly reduce the taxes and fees on cell phone service, which it says include the state's 7% sales tax, and to replace any needed revenue with fairer and more transparent sources.6
Jasjit S Gotra — 2 issues
- Help for first-time homebuyersHis campaign website proposes a 3-to-1 state match on down payments, up to $10,000, for first-time buyers earning under 120% of the area median income, paid for with revenue from leasing state land.8
- Zoning and new housing
Issue statements are drafted by AI from the public sources cited, and only cover what each candidate has said publicly.