Rhode Island

Poll: McKee job approval at 29% as most Rhode Islanders say state is on wrong track

Published

2 hours ago

July 18, 2024

Poll: McKee job approval at 29% as most Rhode Islanders say state is on wrong track

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Gov. Dan McKee continues to receive poor marks from Rhode Islanders, who feel gloomy about the future of the state, according to a new survey.

The University of New Hampshire Survey Center “Ocean State Poll” of 598 Rhode Island registered voters found only 29% approve of the job McKee is doing as governor, while 65% disapprove. Both numbers were the same in May.

McKee’s job approval in the UNH poll is slightly lower than it was in a survey of likely voters released late last month by Salve Regina University’s Pell Center, which had the governor at 36% approval.

12 News political analyst Joe Fleming said the survey results should be a warning to McKee and his inner circle as they look ahead to his reelection campaign in 2026. Former CVS executive Helena Foulkes — who nearly defeated McKee in the 2022 primary — has already been raising money to challenge him for a second time.

“This is two polls now we’ve seen with the governor’s numbers low,” Fleming said. “He has to start doing something to turn that around, because we’re starting to see a track record in these numbers.”

UNH said McKee is underwater with all political groups: he has a 42% job approval rating among Democrats, 21% approval among independents and 9% approval with Republicans.

Fleming said the biggest worry for McKee should be his low approval rating in his own party.

“That’s a very concerning number, since Democrats do very well in Rhode Island, which says to me if I’m a Democrat looking to run for governor I could think about challenging him in a primary,” he said.

In a separate UNH poll of likely Massachusetts voters, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey’s job approval rating fell from 52% in May to 45% in July, while her disapproval rating inched up from 38% to 46%.

The survey of 598 Rhode Island voters was conducted online from July 11 to July 15, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The Massachusetts poll surveyed 509 voters online over the same dates, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.

Researchers at UNH’s States of Opinion Project, which conducted the surveys, described Rhode Islanders as “deeply pessimistic about where the state is heading.” Only 27% of voters say Rhode Island is headed in the right direction, while 60% say the state is on the wrong track. Democrats narrowly say the state is on the right track, by a margin of 43% to 40%.

“That number has been on the negative side for the longest time,” said Fleming, who has been conducting polls in Rhode Island for decades. “Sometimes it gets up to even, but not better than that.”

Asked to name the most important problem facing Rhode Island, housing came first (cited by 16% in the poll), followed by infrastructure (15%), jobs and the economy (13%) and corrupt or incompetent government (11%).

“Nearly half of Democrats mention housing or infrastructure as the most important problem facing the state, independents are more likely to mention the state budget or cost of living, and Republicans are more likely to cite immigration as the most important problem,” according to UNH.

Credit: States of Opinion Project, UNH Survey Center

Massachusetts voters were far more likely to say their state is headed in the right direction, with 49% saying so, according to UNH. They described housing and immigration as the Bay State’s biggest current policy challenges.

In Rhode Island, UNH also asked residents about the Washington Bridge crisis and this November’s ballot question about whether Rhode Island should hold a state constitutional convention.

On the Washington Bridge, 56% of Rhode Islanders said they used the bridge at least a few times a month before last December’s closure of the westbound side; 71% said they have used the bridge since the closure; and 46% said they have used detour routes to avoid the bridge since the closure.

Nearly half of those surveyed — 48% — said their trips are typically 10 to 29 minutes longer due to the bridge closure, while 29% said the delays are even higher than that and 8% said the delays are less than 10 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, the survey showed little public awareness about the constitutional convention question, which is required to be put on the ballot in Rhode Island every 10 years. Just over half of those surveyed — 53% — said they had heard “nothing at all” about it so far. And only 36% said they feel like they understand the topic.

Ted Nesi (tnesi@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter and 12 News politics/business editor. He co-hosts Newsmakers and writes Nesi’s Notes on Saturdays. Connect with him on Twitter, Threads and Facebook.

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Rhode Island

Khano Smith Leads Rhode Island FC to Victory Over His Former Club

Published

9 hours ago

July 18, 2024

Press Room

Khano Smith Leads Rhode Island FC to Victory Over His Former Club

Photo Courtest of Rhode Island FC

Rhode Island FC extended its unbeaten streak to six matches without a loss as they cruised to an easy 3-1 win over Birmingham Legion FC. The win was led by the efforts of RIFC midfielder Zachary Herivaux, who the club recently acquired from Tampa Bay and who previously played 75 matches with Birmingham, scoring two goals in that time. Also leading RIFC to victory was Head Coach Khano Smith, hired in the offseason from the Birmingham Legion to head Rhode Island’s USL Championship expansion club.

The win marked RIFC’s fifth straight match scoring at least three goals and their fifth win on the season. Also the victory saw RIFC soar into the playoff positions. Ever since their June 22nd victory over Louisville City FC, Rhode Island have looked like a much different and more dangerous team.

Rhode Island winger Noah Fuson displayed that danger immediately in the first half. He received a headed pass from striker Albert “Chico” Dikwa within the box and in front of the Birmingham right goalpost and beat the diving Birmingham goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg with a low shot to the far corner to give Rhode Island a 1-0 lead. Some 54 seconds had elapsed since kick-off.

Chico picked up a yellow card a few moments later, and shortly after that RIFC goalkeeper Koke Vegas bobbled a dangerous shot that almost gave Birmingham an early equalizer. Birmingham had a few more good chances, including one in the 16th minute when Vegas came off his line and offered Birmingham a shot at an open goal, which they thankfully missed just wide to the right. Birmingham and Rhode Island both squandered whatever other chances the first half gave them, and Rhode Island FC took their 1-0 lead into the half.

The second half started with Birmingham getting right back into the game as Birmingham Legion FC striker Prosper Kasim curved a beautiful and unsavable shot well beyond a frozen Vegas into the top-left corner of the goal. There was absolutely nothing the Rhode Island goalkeeper could do in this instance and Birmingham thus leveled the score at 1-1.

From there, Birmingham seemed well in control of the game. Indeed, after Fuson’s opening-minute goal, Birmingham had by far the better chances all game, and only luck and uneven-but-lucky play from Vegas had kept Rhode Island from losing.

The change came when former Birmingham-Legion player Zachary Herivaux came on as a substitute for Rhode Island in the 63rd minute. He made an immediate impact, but it was RIFC striker JJ Williams who enabled him to do so. Williams sprinted to intercept an admittedly lazy sideways pass from Birmingham in their own final third, charged into the Birmingham box, and then backheeled the ball to Herivaux who curled the shot around Spangenberg to give RIFC a 2-1 lead in the 68th minute.

Nine minutes later, RIFC defensive back Stephen Turnbull passed to Herivaux once again, who curled a long shot from beyond the box past Spangenberg – who got a touch to it but only redirected it into the interior netting – to give Rhode Island a 3-1 lead.

In one night, Herivaux earned not only his first-ever career brace, he also matched his goal total from his entire career with Birmingham. From there, Rhode Island FC had total control of the match and closed it out calmly.

Rhode Island FC will next enjoy a well-earned ten days off before they return home to Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, Rhode Island, to play North Carolina FC on Saturday, July 27 at 7:30 pm ET. North Carolina are presently only three points behind RIFC in the playoff race with a game in hand so the match could prove to be very important come October.

Given their recent run of form, Rhode Island FC should play with plenty of confidence and show Smithfield exactly how they’ve turned things around in recent weeks.

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Rhode Island

Charlestown man takes his shoreline message to the skies again this summer

Published

17 hours ago

July 17, 2024

Press Room

Charlestown man takes his shoreline message to the skies again this summer

WESTERLY —A Charlestown resident and vocal shoreline public access rights advocate again took his message to the skies over Rhode Island beaches on Sunday.

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Rhode Island

Rhode Island Leads the Charge: Completes Phase 1 of National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program – Newport Buzz

Published

23 hours ago

July 17, 2024

Press Room

Rhode Island Leads the Charge: Completes Phase 1 of National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program – Newport Buzz

In a historic milestone, Governor Dan McKee and the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, alongside the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and other federal and local partners, have announced Rhode Island as the first state to complete Phase 1 of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program. The achievement was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Route 117 Park & Ride in Warwick.

Launched in December 2023, Phase 1 of the NEVI Program saw the installation of four new Level 3 Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC) along Interstate 95. Two chargers were set up at the Warwick Park & Ride, and two more at the Ashaway Park & Ride in Hopkinton. The ChargePoint Express Plus Power Link PL2000 series chargers, installed by Maverick Corporation, can charge an electric vehicle up to 80 percent in just 20 to 40 minutes. The support from Rhode Island Energy was crucial for the success of this project, further expanding the state’s EV charging infrastructure.

Currently, Rhode Island boasts a total of eight DCFCs and six Dual-Port Level 2 charging stations along the I-95 Alternative Fuel Corridor. This accomplishment provides efficient and convenient charging options, enabling both residents and travelers to embrace electric vehicle travel confidently.

“The completion of NEVI Phase 1 marks a significant step in Rhode Island’s journey toward a greener future,” said Governor McKee. “By developing infrastructure for cleaner transportation alternatives, we’re not only progressing toward our Act on Climate goals but also reducing our carbon footprint. I’m grateful to our private and public partners for their collaboration on this project.”

U.S. Senator Jack Reed highlighted the impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which invests $7.5 billion in electric charging infrastructure, including nearly $23 million for Rhode Island. “We need to make EV charging as easy as filling up at the gas station. The work we celebrate today shows how Rhode Island is putting that money to use.”

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a senior member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, praised Rhode Island’s achievement, stating, “It’s happy news that Rhode Island is the first state to reach this milestone, putting the Ocean State well on its way to a clean energy future.”

Phase 2, anticipated to begin in Fall 2024, aims to expand EV charging infrastructure across public roads and other accessible locations, further supporting Rhode Island’s green initiatives.

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