Aaron Guckian, a self-described “compassionate conservative,” won the Republican nomination for governor of Rhode Island, The Associated Press said on Tuesday night.
Mr. Guckian, a former executive director of the Rhode Island Dental Association, defeated Elaine Pelino, a former model and actress and first-time political candidate who closely aligned herself with President Trump. The race was close enough that a recount was requested after last week’s primary.
He will face Helena Foulkes, a former CVS executive, in the general election. Ms. Foulkes defeated Gov. Dan McKee last week to win the Democratic nomination, the first time that a sitting governor has lost a primary since 2018.
Mr. Guckian, 50, who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 2022, had won the endorsement of the state’s Republican Party and had out-raised Ms. Pelino. But polls had consistently given Ms. Pelino a sizable lead, even as she faced questions about her experience and readiness to run a state.
She called herself “a proud MAGA Republican” and frequently warned that Rhode Island, where Democrats have controlled the governor’s office and both chambers of the legislature for more than a decade, was headed down a socialist path.
Mr. Guckian spent eight years as an aide to former Gov. Don Carcieri, who led the state from 2003 to 2011 and was the last Republican governor of Rhode Island. He campaigned on reducing electricity costs and other affordability issues.
Rhode Island leans heavily Democratic, but President Trump won more votes statewide in the 2024 election than he did in 2020.
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