McKee picks up second teachers union endorsement

Gov. Dan McKee now boasts endorsements from Rhode Island’s two major statewide teachers unions, having secured the recommendation of the National Education Association of Rhode Island on Wednesday.

The endorsement, made by a unanimous vote of the association’s political action committee, is not a surprise. The 12,000-member union also backed McKee in 2022, and donated $500 to his campaign in January. McKee’s decision to sign a contested charter school moratorium into law in June — prompting a federal lawsuit by a dual language charter school now blocked from opening — was widely viewed as a political move meant to win favor with the influential teachers unions. 

The other, equally sized state teachers union, the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, endorsed McKee last week.

The National Education Association, led by Senate President Valarie Lawson, includes mostly suburban and rural school districts along with faculty and graduate workers at Roger Williams University and the University of Rhode Island. At least one representative from all of the association’s 76 locals participated in the endorsement vote, following interviews with Democratic gubernatorial candidates on Tuesday night. 

Stephanie Mandeville, an association spokesperson, declined to share the total number of members who voted in the endorsement decision. 

“Our endorsement is something our members take very seriously,” Amy Mullen, an elementary math intervention specialist in Tiverton who chairs the political action committee, said in a statement. “Committee members asked thoughtful, challenging questions and carefully considered not only the candidates’ positions, but also their willingness to engage in a meaningful dialogue and demonstrate a clear understanding of the issues affecting our members. We weren’t looking for talking points, we were looking for leadership, honesty, and a proven commitment to public education and working families.”

The association cited McKee’s “demonstrated understanding” of education issues and “detailed responses” to questions about his priorities as reasons for the endorsement.

Democratic primary challenger Helena Buonanno Foulkes did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Foulkes has said she would have vetoed the charter school moratorium bill if she was governor. 

Foulkes, who lost to McKee by 3 percentage points in the 2022 Democratic gubernatorial primary, leads McKee by double digits in the most recent public polling and has secured a majority of the municipal Democratic endorsements, including from McKee’s hometown of Cumberland.

Neither the Rhode Island Democratic Party nor the AFL-CIO made an endorsement in the gubernatorial primary in a decision seen as a snub for an incumbent Democratic governor.

But McKee has picked up several large union endorsements in recent weeks. In addition to both state teachers unions, he also received backing from the 10,000-member Rhode Island Council 94 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the United Nurses and Allied Professionals and General Teamsters Local 251. Smaller labor groups, including local chapters of the Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ International Association and the International Union of Elevator Constructors have endorsed McKee, too.

He is expected to receive an endorsement from the Rhode Island Building & Construction Trades Council at a rally scheduled for tomorrow, as first reported by WPRI-TV 12

Foulkes has also won favor with labor groups, including the Rhode Island SEIU Council, UNITE Here hospitality workers, and the Rhode Island Troopers Association.

And she has a considerable cash advantage over McKee, helping her dominate the airwaves battles with more than $1.1 million spent on local TV commercials, according to the most recent filings with federal regulators. McKee’s campaign has spent just over $582,000 on political ads.

Second-quarter campaign reports for all state primary candidates are due to the Rhode Island Board of Elections by Friday night.

Early voting begins Aug. 20 ahead of the Sept. 9 primary.

Reporter Christopher Shea contributed to this story.