As Early Voting Nears, Rhode Island Governor's Race Sees Ad-Spending Surge; Union Allies Plan $500,000 for Foulkes
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — With early voting in Rhode Island set to begin Wednesday, Oct. 14, spending in the governor's race is surging. Independent candidate Ken Block rolled out two new television ads on Monday, Oct. 12, while an arm of the Laborers' International Union of North America is preparing to spend $500,000 to support Democrat Helena Foulkes, The Providence Focal reported.
One Block ad highlights his election-integrity work — he was hired by Donald Trump's campaign after the 2020 election and challenged its voter-fraud claims — while the other argues Rhode Island needs a change in leadership. The planned television bookings differ sharply: based on Federal Communications Commission filings, Foulkes booked about $150,000 in TV time for the coming week, while Block's latest orders totaled roughly $25,000. Foulkes' current ad presents her as an outsider who would make state government work for people beyond the politically connected.
Three major candidates are running: Democrat Foulkes, Republican Aaron Guckian and independent Block. Incumbent Gov. Dan McKee lost the September Democratic primary to Foulkes. The planned union spending was disclosed by a person with direct knowledge of the plans; the Laborers group previously spent $100,000 backing McKee in the primary and has not itself formally endorsed Foulkes, though an affiliated building-trades council led by a Laborers official recently did.
The final debate is set for Oct. 20, and Election Day is Nov. 3. This report states the campaign facts without taking a political position.
Source: The Providence Focal, Oct. 12, 2026
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Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 罗德岛州议会大厦（普罗维登斯），CC BY-SA 4.0，摄影：Frank Schulenburg（Wikimedia Commons）
