RI Gov. Dan McKee goes dark on TV ads amid cash crunch

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee's reelection campaign has placed no significant television ad orders for this week, according to FCC filings, a sharp pullback that comes as the Democratic incumbent struggles to keep pace financially with primary challenger Helena Foulkes just weeks before voters go to the polls.

McKee spent roughly $30,000 on local ad buys last week. This week's filings show only a handful of leftover spots scheduled to air during reruns and weekend newscasts. His campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the pullback.

The ad retreat follows a financial disclosure showing Foulkes, a former CVS executive, holding $3.3 million in her campaign account as of June 30 compared to McKee's $669,000. McKee's allies had hoped labor unions or other outside groups would step in with independent spending to close the gap, but no such expenditures have been reported to the state Board of Elections.

The fundraising gap mirrors McKee's position in the polls. A University of New Hampshire survey released July 1 showed him trailing Foulkes 42% to 22% among likely Democratic primary voters, with his overall job approval sitting at just 19% and 77% disapproving of his performance. Multiple other polls this year have shown similar or worse deficits.

McKee is seeking to avoid becoming just the second sitting Rhode Island governor to lose his own party's primary.

McKee and Foulkes are set to debate on WPRI12 on Aug. 18 with early voting beginning Aug. 20 and election day set for Sept. 9.