Rhode Island House Speaker Joe Shekarchi ended many months of speculation on Tuesday by taking himself out of the marquee political race of the year.
“After deep personal reflection, I have decided to continue to serve as speaker of the House and will not be a candidate for governor this fall,” Shekarchi said in a statement.
The uncertain outcome of a three-way Democratic primary in September with Gov. Dan McKee and former CVS executive Helena Foulkes is considered a driving factor in Shekarchi’s decision – and he acknowledged that to a degree.
“That was certainly part of it, certainly part of it,” Shekarchi told reporters outside his third-floor Statehouse office ahead of Tuesday’s House session. “I didn’t think a three-way race would be an easy race, especially for me as the speaker of the House. But that wasn’t the only decision. It was a personal decision and there were a lot of factors that went into it.”
Shekarchi declined to elaborate on the personal aspects of his decision, although he has previously talked about helping to care for his father, who will turn 100 in a few weeks.
Both McKee and Foulkes praised Shekarchi in separate statements.
“He has brought a spirit of collegiality and collaboration to the Statehouse that has made us all more effective,” Foulkes said. “I’m grateful for his friendship and continued service to the state we all love, and I look forward to working with him as governor.”
Foulkes has charged that McKee has been a failure as governor, citing his management of the Washington Bridge saga.
In a statement released through his campaign, McKee said, “The race is now set, and Rhode Islanders are now faced with a clear choice: someone who understands the challenges Rhode Islanders are facing everyday and will continue to fight to lower costs and make life a bit more easier, or a boardroom millionaire like Helena Foulkes’ who, under her failed leadership, fueled the opioid crisis by caring more about her wallet size and in turn, destroyed the lives and families of thousands of Rhode Islanders in her path.”
Shekarchi plans to remain Speaker
Shekarchi, 63, said he had to make a decision based on logic, not emotion, and that he came to his conclusion late last week. He shared the news with McKee during a meeting in Cumberland and through a phone call with Foulkes.
Shekarchi said he plans to seek re-election to his House seat this year and would like to remain speaker.
The speaker, who has previously talked about being closer to the end of his time in one of the state’s top political posts, was oblique in talking about his political ambitions.
Asked if he would like to one day wind up in the U.S. Senate, he said, “I don’t get up every day and shave in the mirror and say I want to be a U.S. senator.”
The Warwick Democrat said he remained committed to public service.
“I enjoy public service,” he said. “My whole life has been dedicated to public service. And I don’t rule out any opportunity to run or serve in any other capacity.”
Shekarchi said he plans to make an endorsement in the Democratic primary for governor ahead of the conclusion of the race on Sept. 8.
“The best way for me to serve the people of Rhode Island is to continue my work as Speaker of the House,” he said. “My energy will remain focused on crafting a budget that supports Rhode Islanders and finding solutions for critical issues like health care, hospitals and housing.”
Will he, won’t he dominated in Rhode Island political circles
Talk about the possibility of Shekarchi running simmered through 2025 as McKee wrestled with poor approval ratings in the aftermath of the Washington Bridge saga.
The House Speaker is sometimes called the most powerful elected official in the state. Shekarchi is well-liked at the Statehouse and he has $4.3 million in his campaign account as of the latest filing. But he avoided taking steps to raise his statewide name recognition in the runup to 2026.
Shekarchi has been involved in Rhode Island politics for decades and he became speaker in 2021 after predecessor Nick Mattiello lost a re-election race for state rep in 2020.
If some people were expecting McKee to drop out of a tough fight for re-election this year, as then-Gov. Lincoln Chafee did amid low poll ratings ahead of the 2014 race, the incumbent governor didn’t get the memo.
Foulkes raised more ($576,000) than twice as much as McKee ($210,000) during the fourth quarter of 2025, pushing her fundraising total to $2.8 million, compared with $1.1 million for the incumbent.
But McKee’s campaign cited a 17 point swing in a new survey by Morning Consult as a sign that his support is trending in the right direction.
The finding shows the governor with a 49% approval rating and his favorable rating 13 points above his unfavorable rating.
McKee, 74, inherited the governor’s office when Gina Raimondo left to become U.S. Commerce secretary in 2021.
He won election in 2022, easily outpacing Republican Ashley Kalus in the general election, and he would be one of the longest-serving governors in state history if he wins re-election this year.
In making her first run for office in 2022, Foulkes lost the Democratic primary by three points after gaining support in the closing weeks of the campaign.
