He put THE question to bed before I could get the question out of my mouth.

Governor Dan McKee is running for reelection. 

And he can’t wait to tell you why.

So, the prophets of doom, prognosticators and purveyors of political pabulum will have to focus on other politicians. 

It won’t be easy, and he knows it.

Way behind in political donations (he trails announced candidate Helena Foulkes and possible candidate Speaker Joe Shekarchi by millions), weathering the storm of the Washington Bridge debacle, among other things, and ominously looking at polls that seem to those of us who study these things a gigantic hole to climb out of, Dan McKee is as upbeat about the future as if he had polls in the stratosphere.

He has a story to tell, and in rapid fire and great conviction, he tells it. 

First, a little background on our 76^th governor: He grew up in the Town of Cumberland, one of five children (he has two sisters and two brothers) born to James (a businessman who followed his father into various businesses from ice to oil deliveries) and Helen, who had her hands full running the home and volunteering whenever possible.

McKee attended Cumberland schools, playing basketball and baseball at Cumberland High School, and is still proud of the fact that he played on a state champion baseball team.

He would continue his studies at Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science and later earning a master’s degree at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

He would then return to his hometown and not only work at his family’s company but start his own companies in the health and real estate fields, as well as other businesses.

He and his wife, Susan, have two adult children, Kara and Matthew.

Elected to Town Council

He caught the political bug a little later, ran for and was elected to the Town Council, where he served for four years.

His political path would next take him to the mayor’s office, where he served for 12 years, a remarkable achievement by any standard.

In 2014 he set his goals even higher and was elected lieutenant governor of the State of Rhode Island.

In 2021, then-Gov. Gina Raimondo decided to leave office to serve as US secretary of commerce in the Biden administration, ascending McKee to the office of governor.

In 2022, he was elected to a full term as governor in a hard-fought battle in both the Democratic primary and then the general election.

Which leads us to our conversation at one of his favorite breakfast spots – Phantom Farms in Cumberland.

Shrugs at polls

Speaking with the confidence of someone who has been in political life for a long time, the governor wasted no time in swatting away polling concerns. He said, “polls are polls. There’s good polls and bad polls. Look at Morning Consult; I was +2 and now I’m +5.” He continued, “The reaction I get is very strong. If you’re in this business long enough, you can sense what’s going on.” 

When I asked how he views his opponents, he kind of fluffed it off, saying nothing about Foulkes and that he “didn’t know what the Speaker was going to do,” adding that he “had a very professional relationship [with Shekarchi] that I value.”

He also mentioned that he met with both the Speaker and the Senate president weekly (during the legislative session) for five years, hosting a lunch with them. 

Pivoting to the Washington Bridge debacle, he remarked, “My job was to keep people safe. I accomplished that.”

Asked about what seems to be a slow and painstaking process, he replied, “we will demolish the existing bridge by the end of the year, and we are actually ahead of (frequently compared) Maryland’s schedule,” for its bridge replacement.

He added, “The bottom line? I don’t know anyone who says that I made the wrong decision [to shut down the bridge].”

We then discussed Hasbro leaving the state and he simply said, “they made the decision before I even met with them! They had their minds set, even though we put about $100 million in incentives on the table.”

Lists accomplishments

And with the skill of a seasoned pro, he pivoted into his “accomplishments.”

“Since I’ve been governor, we added 36,000 private sector jobs, including 1,500 at Amazon [in Johnston], and companies like Regent Craft, Edesia Nutrition and the Fidelity Bank expansion, among others. We do the work and get results.” 

When I asked him about the all-important labor support in Democratic primaries, he explained, “we had tremendous support in 2022, and I expect strong support going forward, because we put people to work.” 

I then asked the governor to name three success stories that he was particularly proud of during his tenure. I think Dan McKee has his own way of counting to three because what followed was an avalanche of verbiage that I will condense. 

Education: “My top priority is Mabel James, my granddaughter. What can I do to help her and kids like her?”

“Let me say right off the bat that I don’t want to lose [Commissioner of Education] Angelica Infante-Green. She is creating real impact.”

“We have compacts with 38 out of 39 cities and towns, we opened over 20 learning centers and are on course to meet or exceed Massachusetts’ educational proficiency levels by 2030.”

“We want to raise the incomes of every family in the state of Rhode Island and do so through education.” 

Health Care: “We’ve done more than any previous administration. We opened 8 community health centers, including services for mental health, and provide tuition assistance in health care. We’re opening a new 80,000 square foot health lab this fall, as well as a new life sciences building, 120,000 square feet.

“We’re investing in URI, as well as schools throughout the state.” 

Housing: The governor rattled off a list of accomplishments, including “$250 million in housing production, and the creation of a housing office. Before I took office, there was no central management in place.”

He also mentioned “an annual revenue stream for homelessness, including a “60% increase in shelters. We have a goal to also add 15,000 new housing units that will be both homeowner and income driven.” 

Before we parted ways, I wanted to ask the governor what his plans were “after politics.”

Now in his 70s, it was not only a fair question, but an important one.

Congress? Washington social or governmental organization?

He laughed and said, “My dad started the Boy’s Club (the original name before the name was changed to Boys & Girls Clubs and where he got his first taste of business). I’ve been a businessman all my life before entering politics. Politics is raw and can sometimes be nasty. But it’s about issues and leadership.”

He continued, “I have no interest in running for Congress or the Senate. And I have no interest in a federal job. The state has made significant progress during my first term and will continue the progress during my second term.” 

I’ve known Dan McKee for a long time. Though we’re on different sides of the political aisle, I’ve never known him to be anything but a gentleman.

His opponents would be foolish to underestimate him.