Poll: McKee's favorability drops among Rhode Island voters

(The Center Square) — Democratic Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee's ratings are continuing to drop, according to a new poll, which found voters overwhelmingly think the state is headed in the wrong direction.

The poll, released Thursday by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, found only 29% approve of McKee's performance as governor, while 65% disapprove. Those numbers are largely unchanged from a similar poll conducted by UNH in May, according to the center.

Pollsters found that McKee remains underwater across the political spectrum, with a 42% job approval rating among Democrats, 21% approval among independents and 9% approval among Republicans.

McKee, a former lieutenant governor, became the state’s chief executive in March 2021 when two-term Gov. Gina Raimondo was tapped as U.S. commerce secretary.

He defeated Republican challenger Ashley Kalus in the 2022 elections to win his first full term in office. He is up for reelection in November 2026 but hasn't said whether he will seek another term.

Meanwhile, a majority of Rhode Island voters are pessimistic about the future of the state, according to UNH pollsters. Only 27% of voters surveyed said they are optimistic about Rhode Island's future, while 60% say the state is headed in the wrong direction. Only 43% of Democrats narrowly say the state is on the right track, pollsters found.

The poll said housing, infrastructure, immigration, jobs and economic growth and "corrupt and/or incompetent" government officials are among the top concerns for voters ahead of the November elections.

"Nearly half of Democrats mention housing or infrastructure as the most important problem facing the state, independents are more likely to mention the state budget or cost of living, and Republicans are more likely to cite immigration as the most important problem," UNH pollsters said.

Pollsters also gauged Rhode Islanders' view of the Washington Street bridge closure, which has snarled traffic along the I-195 artery.

They found nearly half of those surveyed — or 48% — said their travel times were about 10 to 29 minutes longer because of the bridge's closure, while another 29% said the delays were even higher. About 8% said the delays are less than 10 minutes, according to the poll.

The UNH survey of 598 Rhode Island voters was conducted online from July 11 to July 15. It has a margin of error of 4%.