Former CVS executive Helena Foulkes launches 2nd gubernatorial campaign in Rhode Island

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FILE - Democratic challenger for Rhode Island governor, former CVS Health executive Helena Foulkes, speaks during a gubernatorial election forum hosted by the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce in Warwick, R.I., Sept. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/David Goldman, file)

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4:50 PM on Tuesday, September 9

The Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Former CVS Health executive Helena Foulkes announced her second campaign for Rhode Island governor on Tuesday, challenging incumbent Gov. Dan McKee in the Democratic primary.

Foulkes finished a close second to McKee in the 2022 primary after a late surge in the polls and a last-minute endorsement from The Boston Globe’s editorial board. McKee is seeking his second full term after stepping up from the lieutenant governorship when Gov. Gina Raimondo was tapped as U.S. commerce secretary in the Biden administration in 2021.

Foulkes said Tuesday that Rhode Island residents are “getting squeezed” by the state’s failure to address the spiraling cost of housing, groceries and utilities. She also promised to fight what she called the Trump administration’s “illegal and irresponsible overreach.”

McKee’s campaign responded to Foulkes’ entry into the race with a digital advertisement accusing her of helping to fuel the opioid crisis during her time at CVS.