Approval for McKee, Matos Falls in New
Pell Center Poll

The findings come with less than 2 years until the next statewide primary election

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, right, Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos during a recent news conference.
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, right, Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos during a recent news conference.
Ian Donnis/The Public’s Radio
Share
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, right, Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos during a recent news conference.
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, right, Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos during a recent news conference.
Ian Donnis/The Public’s Radio
Approval for McKee, Matos Falls in New
Pell Center Poll
Copy

With 2026 drawing closer, the approval ratings for Gov. Dan McKee and Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos declined in a new poll by the Pell Center at Salve Regina University.

The poll shows approval falling two percentage points for each of the two state officials since an earlier Pell survey in June, with McKee showing a 34% approval rating and a 56% disapproval rating. The comparable figures for Matos are 26% and 39%.

The findings come amid ongoing frustration among motorists about traffic delays and congestion associated with the Washington Bridge, for which state leaders have yet to detail a plan for full replacement.

McKee and Matos both said they plan to see re-election in 2026.

Former CVS executive Helena Foulkes is raising money after a close loss to McKee in the 2022 Democratic primary for governor. A handful of Democrats are considered possible primary opponents for Matos in 2026, but none has confirmed a campaign.

The findings are based on responses earlier this month from 876 likely voters and have a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

This story was reported by The Public’s Radio. You can read the entire story here.

Mayor Brett Smiley discusses how his administration is tackling the city’s biggest issues — from the housing shortage and SNAP crisis to community trust in police — as he looks ahead to a 2026 re-election bid
USDA says it will not send out food stamp money in November due to the federal shutdown. Now, Rhode Islanders are grappling with how to make ends meet
Federal cuts to Medicaid could leave up to 50,000 Rhode Islanders without health insurance, straining the state’s already limited primary care system and putting communities like Central Falls - where half the population relies on Medicaid - at particular risk, according to Dr. Michael Fine
Gov. Dan McKee says the state will shift $6 million from other federal programs to help feed Rhode Islanders as SNAP benefits run out — while Attorney General Peter Neronha joins a multistate lawsuit against the Trump administration to restore funding
The R/V Endeavor, which spent the last 49 years operating out of URI’s Narragansett Bay Campus, was retired last month. Possibly took a tour of the vessel before it’s decommissioned