Happy Friday! I'm Dan McGowan, and I now spend most my day humming the theme song to "Tayo the Little Bus." Follow me on X (Twitter) @DanMcGowan, on Bluesky @danmcgowan, or send tips to
dan.mcgowan@globe.com.
Programming note: There will be no Rhode Map on Monday, but I'll be right back in your inbox on Tuesday.
📺 My colleague Alexa Gagosz was on "12 News at 4" to discuss the latest in the Prospect Medical Holdings bankruptcy. You can watch the segment here.
If Tuesday’s State of the State address was effectively Governor Dan McKee’s kickoff to his reelection campaign, he now has a better idea of where he stands with the voters as he begins the nearly two-year marathon to the Democratic primary.
A new survey from Morning Consult shows that McKee finished 2024 with a 44 percent approval rating and a 40 percent disapproval rating, which makes him the least popular governor in New England but still largely contradicts much of the conventional wisdom in Rhode Island politics that he is a sitting duck in 2026.
Morning Consult conducts online surveys on the approval ratings of governors every three months. McKee’s 44 percent approval rating in the fourth quarter of 2024 is similar to previous quarters, although he was above 50 percent approval in the second and third quarters of 2023.
Here’s a breakdown of approval ratings for New England governors for the fourth quarter of 2024.
Vermont Governor Phil Scott (R)
75 percent approve
18 percent disapprove
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R)*
65 percent approve
29 percent disapprove
The bigger picture: McKee would obviously much rather be in the position of any of his counterparts in New England, but he continues to see a path to reelection.
No one is basing their political future on polling from Morning Consult, but this is one of those classic cases where anyone interested in being Rhode Island governor can find a silver lining.
⚓ If you’re McKee, it’s “See, I’m not in as bad shape as the local media wants to believe.”
⚓ If you’re likely Democratic rival Helena Foulkes, it’s “McKee is trending in the wrong direction, and I haven’t spent a dime to remind voters of any of his mistakes.”
⚓ If you’re House Speaker Joe Shekarchi, it’s “Let’s see where McKee is in nine months.”
🤔 So you think you're a Rhode Islander...
Today's question comes from former Providence Mayor Joe Paolino, and it's related to yesterday's question.Who was the Providence Civic Center named after in 1974? (You can find the answer below.)
Do you have the perfect question for Rhode Map readers? Don't forget to send the answer, too. Shoot me an email today.
The Globe in Rhode Island
⚓ My latest column: Federal Hill just fell victim to the most modern mob hit imaginable. A rich restaurant giant is taking over the family-owned Old Canteen, and turning it into a hotdog stand. Read more.
⚓ Governor Dan McKee on Thursday submitted a $14.2 billion budget to state lawmakers for consideration, asking them to approve a tax-and-spending plan that includes a ban on assault-style weapons, increased funding to public schools and new taxes and fees, among other changes. My colleagues Ed Fitzpatrick and Steph Machado have all the details. Read more.
⚓ The Rhode Island Department of Corrections has, at least temporarily, suspended its practice of opening and reading privileged mail to inmates, including their correspondence with their attorneys, and halted a policy requiring visitors to submit to having their photographs taken as the agency faces a legal challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union. Read more.
⚓ The University of Rhode Island Foundation and Polaris MEP have received close to $4 million from the Commerce Department to train for roles in the ocean technology sector. Read more.
⚓ My colleague Carlos R. Muñoz explores the Monastery Trail in Cumberland. Read more.
⚓ Forty-eight states along with the District of Columbia have joined together to hit the company that runs mobile money platform Cash App with a $80 million fine for what regulators said were violations of the bank secrecy act and anti-money laundering laws. Read more.
🎂 Rhode Map readers have sent another round of Happy Birthday wishes to: Colby Jerzyk, Suzanne Da Silva, Sybil Bailey, Caroline McCullough (21), André Herrera, David Zacharias, Garrett M. Kelley (43), Judge J. Patrick O'Neill, David Ellison, Nick Cicchitelli, Victor Morente, Susanna Prull (38), Cathy Clasper-Torch, Jenn Reedy, Betty Lavigne, Rachael “Charlie” McDonnell (13), and Andy Dylag.
You can check out all of our coverage at Globe.com/RI
Also in the Globe
⚓ Saying it is time to “build our future,” Governor Maura Healey on Thursday laid out a wide-ranging agenda in her State of the Commonwealth address, vowing to rebuild roads and bridges, make it easier to get a doctor’s appointment, and transition homeless families out of hotels and motels by the end of the year. Read more.
⚓ A survey by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce shows that most office employers have made no change to their return-to-office policies for at least the past year. Read more.
⚓ The list of potential Patriots offensive coordinator candidates is intriguing. Read more.
⚓ It's a huge weekend for Providence College hockey. The No. 6 ranked Friars travels to No. 2 Boston College tonight, and then they host BC tomorrow night. Both games are at 7 p.m.
⚓ URI men's basketball hosts Davidson at 2 p.m. tomorrow, and Providence College men's basketball travels to Villanova at 7 p.m.
🏆 Pop quiz answer
On Dec. 5, 1974, the Providence City Council passed a resolution naming the civic center the Joseph A. Doorley, Jr., Civic Center. Doorley was still mayor, and allowed the resolution to take effect without his signature. Mayor Buddy Cianci was sworn into office a month later.
Mayor Paolino maintains that technically, the building should still be referred to as the Doorley Civic Center today.
RHODE ISLAND REPORT PODCAST Ed Fitzpatrick talks to Mario Monteiro about a new law that gives youthful offenders a chance at parole after serving 20 years in prison. Listen to all of our podcasts here.
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