Republican John Loughlin holds a one-point lead over Democratic Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos in Rhode Island’s lieutenant governor race, according to a new WPRI/Emerson College poll released Tuesday.
The survey puts Loughlin at 45% and Matos at 44%, making the contest a statistical dead heat with less than three weeks until the November 3 election. The poll surveyed 800 likely Rhode Island voters from October 8 through October 11 and has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
The numbers offer a striking snapshot of a statewide race in which the Republican challenger is polling essentially even with the incumbent.
A Loughlin victory would carry significance beyond the lieutenant governor’s office. Rhode Island has not elected a Republican to statewide office since 2006, when Gov. Donald Carcieri won a second term. Republicans have since struggled to break through in a state where Democrats dominate statewide elections. In 2022, Democrat Sabina Matos won the lieutenant governor’s race by about eight points over Republican Aaron Guckian, according to official election results.
The WPRI/Emerson survey also examined the governor’s race, where Democrat Helena Foulkes leads independent Ken Block 44% to 35%. Republican Aaron Guckian receives 10%, while 9% of voters remain undecided.
The poll also found that taxes and state spending were the most frequently cited issues voters want the next governor and General Assembly to address, followed by housing costs and electricity and utility bills.
Those concerns give both Loughlin and Matos an opportunity to make their case on the cost of government and the financial pressures facing Rhode Island households.
These poll numbers put the lieutenant governor contest squarely in the spotlight as campaigns enter the final stretch. With Election Day approaching, the next question is whether either candidate can break the statistical tie by persuading undecided voters and turning support into actual votes.
