Democrat Helena Foulkes leads the field in a new campaign-sponsored poll of Rhode Island's governor's race, while independent Ken Block is using a hypothetical two-candidate matchup to press Republican Aaron Guckian to withdraw before the November 3, 2026, election.

Block's campaign released the Opinion Diagnostics survey September 29. In the five-candidate race, it reported Foulkes at 41%, Block at 24% and Guckian at 19%, with 16% undecided. The survey interviewed 800 likely voters September 23-25 and reported a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

Asked to choose between Foulkes and Block alone, respondents favored Block 44% to 39%, the campaign said. That question describes a hypothetical contest. It does not establish how voters would behave if Guckian left the race, and the survey was commissioned by a candidate with an interest in its interpretation.

Guckian says he is staying in, WPRI reported September 29. The Republican nominee's decision leaves voters with the competing candidacies that the poll's two-way question removes. WPRI also identified independents Jay Gotra and C Reynolds as candidates on the gubernatorial ballot.

A separate University of New Hampshire Survey Center report, published September 24, also found Foulkes leading Block and Guckian. The university's summary described broad opposition to restarting truck tolls and doubts across party lines that the replacement Washington Bridge would open by its announced November 2028 date.

Foulkes reached the general election by defeating incumbent Gov. Dan McKee in the September 9 Democratic primary. Official state results give her 81,314 votes, or 62.46%, against McKee's 48,872. She previously held senior roles at CVS and Hudson's Bay, according to The Associated Press.

The immediate deadline for voters is October 4, when registration closes for the general election. The Rhode Island Board of Elections lists October 13 as the mail ballot application deadline and October 14 as the start of early voting. Voters can check their registration and polling location through the state's online voter portal.

Sources:

https://blockforgovernor.com/press-release.php?id=14

https://www.aol.com/articles/block-says-poll-shows-guckian-151337000.html

https://scholars.unh.edu/survey_center_polls/1009/

https://electionresults.ri.gov/results/public/rhodeisland/elections/RI2026StatewidePrimary

https://apnews.com/article/b731e251ef8cfec4d895c38baaf3b6aa

https://elections.ri.gov/elections/upcoming-elections