McKee job approval dips to 34%; Dems ahead in RI for Nov. election

McKee job approval dips to 34%; Dems ahead in RI for Nov. election

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NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island voters remain unhappy with Dan McKee’s job performance as governor, but they are also on track to elect Democrats in all major races this fall, according to a new survey released Monday.

ORIGINAL NOTE: https://www.wpri.com/news/elections/poll-mckee-job-approval-dips-to-34-dems-ahead-in-ri-for-nov-election/

The poll by Salve Regina University’s Pell Center surveyed 876 Rhode Island voters who said they are likely to vote in the November election, asking their current opinions about a host of incumbent elected officials as well as how they plan to vote in some key races on Nov. 5.

The poll shows just 34% of voters approve of McKee’s job performance, basically unchanged from his 36% rating in the previous Pell Center poll in June, while 56% say they disapprove of how the governor is handling his job.

Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos is also in poor shape following her scandal-tarred congressional bid last year. Just 26% of voters approve of Matos’s job performance, basically unchanged from June, while 39% disapprove and 35% don’t know.

Only 41% of voters say Rhode Island is headed in the right direction, while 59% say the state is on the wrong track. Two-thirds of Democrats are happy with the state’s trajectory, but only 28% of independents and just 5% of Republicans say the same.

McKee and Matos, both Democrats, are up for reelection in 2026. McKee is already facing a rematch against former CVS executive Helena Foulkes, who placed a close second in the 2022 primary, while Matos has no announced challengers to date.

Among the state’s other general officers, Attorney General Peter Neronha posted the highest job rating at 41% approval, against 26% of voters who disapprove of his performance. Secretary of State Gregg Amore was next, at 32% approval and 20% disapproval. Voters were split on General Treasurer James Diossa, at 27% approval and 26% disapproval.

One in four voters has no opinion about Neronha, who is serving his second term as attorney general and is barred by term limits from running again. Nearly half have no opinion on Amore or Diossa, who were both first elected in 2022. All three men are Democrats.

The survey was conducted online and via text message by Embold Research, the nonpartisan arm of San Francisco-based firm Change Research, from Sept. 16 to Sept. 20. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

The survey shows no surprises in the local outlook for the November election.

Vice President Kamala Harris holds a double-digit edge over former President Donald Trump in Rhode Island, leading 52% to 38%, with 7% of voters still undecided, according to the poll. Her advantage is twice the size that President Biden’s was when the Pell Center tested the race in June, before Biden dropped out.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is up by a similar margin in his reelection bid against Republican challenger Patricia Morgan, leading 52% to 36%, with 11% undecided. Whitehouse’s job rating is 49% approve, 37% disapprove.

In the deep-blue 1st Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Gabe Amo is well ahead in his bid for a full term after winning last year’s special election. Amo leads Republican nominee Allen Waters 56% to 27%, with 16% of voters undecided. Amo’s job rating is 47% approve, 22% disapprove, as one in three voters hasn’t formed an opinion about him yet.

In the more moderate 2nd Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Seth Magaziner is comfortably on top in his first bid for reelection. Magaziner leads GOP nominee Steven Corvi 50% to 37%, with 12% of voters undecided. Magaziner’s job rating is 42% approve, 35% disapprove, with 23% of voters having no opinion about him yet.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, who isn’t up for reelection until 2026, remains the most popular elected official in Rhode Island. The poll shows 60% of voters approve of the job Reed is doing as senator, while 26% disapprove and 14% have no opinion. Reed was first elected in 1996, when he succeeded Claiborne Pell.

President Biden’s job approval rating in Rhode Island has improved only slightly since he abandoned his reelection bid, inching up to 46% this month, compared with 42% in June. Vice President Harris’s job approval rating in the state — which wasn’t tested back in June — is currently 51%.

Ted Nesi (tnesi@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter and 12 News politics/business editor. He co-hosts Newsmakers and writes Nesi’s Notes on Saturdays. Connect with him on Twitter, Threads and Facebook.

Due to a transcription error, an earlier version of this article transposed Attorney General Neronha’s approval rating with Congressman Magaziner’s.