Candidate · November 3, 2026
Kenneth J Block
On the ballot for Governor · Rhode Island
- issues with public statements
- 5
§1On the ballot
Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.
| Office | Governor · Rhode Island1 |
|---|---|
| Party on the ballot | Independent1 |
| Status | Open seat — no incumbent is running for this seat. |
| Also on the ballot |
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§2Who they are
Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Ken Block is a Rhode Island businessman who early in his career worked at GTECH on technology systems, including one of the country's first electronic benefits systems.2 He later founded and led a software company that managed large government systems in several states and territories.2 In 2008 he challenged Rhode Island's ballot access laws in federal court, and he ran for governor in 2010 and in 2014.2 After the 2020 presidential election he analyzed claims of voter fraud, and in 2024 he published a book on his findings, Disproven.2
Why they say they're running
His campaign website says he is running as an independent because of what he describes as waste and dysfunction in state government, and that he wants to make the state government accountable to the people it serves.3
Websites and accounts
- Campaign websiteblockforgovernor.com3,
4 - Facebookfacebook.com/KenBlockRI3
- X (Twitter)x.com/KenBlockRI3
- Instagraminstagram.com/kenblock_ri3
§3What they've said on the issues
Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.
Energy and Climate
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.5
- Raise targets or move up deadlines, such as 100% clean power by 2040
- Keep current targets
- Delay, loosen or repeal the targets
Taxes and Budget
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.5
His 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.5
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.5
Health Care
His 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.5
- One government plan for everyone (Medicare for All)
- Add a government plan that anyone can choose to buy
- Keep the current mix of private and public coverage, including the ACA
- Fewer federal insurance rules and more private plan choices, with aid paid to individuals
§4Money
Why this matters: Campaigns report where their money comes from and how much they have left.
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.6