Democratic Governors Association Welcomes Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee

Today, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo was confirmed as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. As Gov. Raimondo transitions to this new role in the Biden administration, Lt. Gov. Dan McKee will become Rhode Island’s next governor.

Gov. McKee has served as Rhode Island’s lieutenant governor since 2014. Born and raised in the Ocean State, Gov. McKee has spent much of his life in public service, serving on Cumberland Town Council and then as Cumberland Mayor. As Mayor, Gov. McKee turned around the town’s finances, and when he left office, Cumberland had a budget surplus and a AA bond rating. He has also founded two small businesses, a real estate brokerage and a fitness center in Woonsocket, and currently serves as the Chair of Rhode Island’s Small Business Advocacy Council.

Gov. McKee has always worked to support small businesses and public schools, and to be a champion of Rhode Island’s cities and towns. During his tenure as Cumberland’s mayor, Gov. McKee helped to fix a high school that was literally falling apart, and created the state’s only Mayor’s Office for Children, Youth, and Learning, which has supported thousands of Cumberland students. And when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Gov. McKee organized a grassroots small business movement ensuring millions of dollars in federal CARES Act funds were allocated to support the small business community.

Gov. McKee fought on behalf of Rhode Island residents when he secured $7.9 million in utility rate relief for Rhode Islanders following a settlement with National Grid, intervened to eliminate the “billing adjustment fee,” and created an energy shopping website that allowed ratepayers to save thousands on their annual bills.

Gov. McKee is ready to hit the ground running. He has been working alongside Gov. Raimondo on the state’s COVID-19 response, and Gov. Raimondo tasked him with putting together the 2021-22 budget proposal, which Gov. McKee will deliver to the state legislature by March 11.

DGA Chair New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham released the following statement:

“I join my fellow governors in thanking Secretary Raimondo for her remarkable leadership, and welcoming incoming Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee to the Democratic Governors Association. A lifelong public servant, Gov. McKee has the experience needed to lead Rhode Island out of this pandemic and towards economic recovery. We look forward to working alongside Gov. McKee and seeing all he accomplishes for the Ocean State.”