An internal poll released by independent candidate for governor Ken Block shows him in a competitive position to be Rhode Island next leader.
According to the poll, Block lags in separate matchups with the two best-known Democratic candidates, Gov. Dan McKee and Helena Foulkes, losing to McKee by eight points and Foulkes by 15 points.
Block’s campaign said that when information about his background and experience was shared with respondents, he outpaced McKee by 10 points, and ties Foulkes for the lead.
Aaron Guckian, the best-known of three GOP candidates for governor, lagged behind in all the matchups.
Block, who ran for governor as a third-party candidate in 2010 and as a Republican in 2014, hailed the findings.
“Rhode Islanders are clearly open to an independent candidate who prioritizes competence and results over party politics,” the Barrington businessman said in a statement. “Leading this race before we’ve had the chance to fully introduce our message to voters across the state tells us there is a real appetite for change – and we intend to earn every vote.”
The poll was funded by Block’s campaign and was done by Opinion Diagnostics, whose principal, Brian Wynne, was previously campaign manager for former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican.
It is based on responses from 802 likely voters and has a 3.5-percentage-point margin of error.
The poll showed affordability as the top concern of Rhode Island voters, followed by infrastructure and eliminating waste, fraud and abuse.
Foulkes spokeswoman Angelika Pellegrino reacted to the poll findings with this statement: “With all of the chaos and cruelty coming out of the Trump administration, Rhode Island needs a strong Democratic governor. This poll suggests the stakes are high in the Democratic primary, and Helena Foulkes is clearly the strongest candidate to beat the two current or former Republicans that will be in the general election.”
Sophie Mestas, a campaign spokeswoman for McKee, said, “We’re glad that even Ken Block’s Republican pollsters agree that affordability is the number one issue in this election – that’s exactly why Governor McKee is delivering for working families with his Affordability for All agenda: eliminating the Social Security tax, creating a child tax credit, bringing down energy bills, and putting Rhode Islanders to work.”
Guckian’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
