Super PAC spends in bid to elect Rhode Island’s first Latina governor

A Latino-focused super PAC has jumped into the Rhode Island governor’s race with a six-figure ad buy, hoping to boost candidate Nellie Gorbea in a tight primary against Democratic Gov. Dan McKee.

The first Latina elected statewide to any office in New England, Gorbea currently serves as Rhode Island’s secretary of state, and she would be the first Latina governor in the region if she wins the Sept. 13 primary. Gorbea would also be the first Puerto Rican governor elected in any state.

McKee was elevated to the governorship in 2021 after serving under Gov. Gina Raimondo, who became Commerce secretary in President Joe Biden’s administration. He is running for a first full term in the state’s top job.

The Latino Victory Fund, a Democratic super PAC dedicated to electing Latinos up and down the ballot, released a TV ad in English and Spanish on Wednesday that railed against McKee and another Democratic contender, Helena Foulkes. The spots tie them to corporate interests, criticizing Foulkes’ tenure as CEO of Hudson’s Bay and an FBI investigation into McKee’s state education contract dealings.

“She’s basically a Republican, he’d better lawyer up,” the narrator says in the ad. “We can choose a real Democrat.”

Gorbea and McKee were within 3 points of each other in an August poll conducted by 12 News and Roger Williams University, though 21 percent of those surveyed were undecided. Latino Victory Fund has invested in Gorbea now because so many voters are still on the fence, said Luis Miranda, chair of the PAC. Next Tuesday is the last chance for the organization to get involved before the general election, he added.

“Think about how crazy it is — we will be increasing the number of Latina governors by 100 percent” if Gorbea wins, Miranda said. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is the other Latina governor currently in office.

“Whenever you have Latino candidates, and you create political effervescence for Latinos to come out and vote, they’re helping the entire ticket,” he continued.

Since June 1, McKee outspent Gorbea on TV by around $200,000, according to AdImpact — though Foulkes led the pack at $1.3 million in advertising costs.

Rhode Island has a growing Hispanic population that comprises more than 16 percent of the state, and two other Democratic Latinas are vying for the lieutenant governorship: incumbent Sabina Matos and state Sen. Cynthia Mendes.
The PAC has not made any further endorsements in the state yet.

On Tuesday, McKee’s campaign filed a complaint with the state Board of Elections, accusing the PAC of not properly disclosing their ad buy. Victory Fund representatives said this claim was inaccurate and they had complied with the 24-hour guidelines.