We haven’t seen the promised “day of reckoning” for anyone responsible for the failure of the westbound side of the Washington Bridge, and Rhode Islanders seem to be taking out their frustration on Governor Dan McKee.
A new poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center released Thursday showed 65 percent of registered Rhode Island voters disapprove of the job McKee is doing as governor, while only 29 percent approve.
Those numbers are identical to a similar survey UNH conducted in May.
The online survey of 598 Rhode Island registered voters, taken July 11 through July 15, also found that 60 percent believe the state is on the wrong track, and only 27 percent believe the state is on the right track.
You can read the full survey results by clicking here, and below are a few quick takeaways.
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Two years until the primary
The question many State House insiders are asking is whether McKee actually plans to seek reelection in two years. He’ll be 75 heading into that 2026 primary, he’s deeply unpopular right now, and there’s increasing fears that a new bridge won’t be ready for a fancy ribbon cutting ahead of his next race. We already know that Helena Foulkes is gearing up to challenge him.
Then again, McKee is showing no signs of the aging problems President Joe Biden is facing. He still clearly has the energy for the job, and he’s equal parts competitive and stubborn. That doesn’t sound like a recipe for choosing to step away before the job is complete.
Where’s the message?
The spin from McKee world is that all Rhode Island governors seem to face low approval ratings, and that’s certainly been the case for the better part of the last 20 years. It’s also true that any governor would take a hit from the bridge debacle, although the lack of accountability and recent headlines about no company bidding to build a new one probably aren’t helpful.
A big question for McKee right now is, where’s the pivot? He’s got a good story to tell when it comes to addressing student absenteeism last year, but he hasn’t taken the opportunity to highlight it in a significant way. His administration has allowed the bridge to swallow up any of his accomplishments.
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Red flag
McKee has always framed himself as a Biden-type moderate, and it has clearly been successful in his political career (he’s undefeated in three statewide elections). But he’s underwater with voters who identify as moderate by 28 percentage points (60 percent disapprove, 32 percent approve), and 72 percent of independents disapprove of the job he’s doing.
Dan McGowan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @danmcgowan.