RI's next governor's race looks like 2022 again: Here's who is raising money

Rhode Islanders vote for governor again in a little over two years, but Helena Foulkes is raising money like she wants a rematch with Gov. Dan McKee.

Foulkes, a former CVS executive, raised $203,000 in the first quarter of the year.

That's over $80,000 more than McKee, who raised $123,000 over the same period, according to campaign filings with the state Board of Elections.

McKee narrowly defeated Foulkes in the 2022 Democratic primary.

The only Rhode Island politician who raised more in the first three months of the year was House Speaker and prolific fundraiser K. Joseph Shekarchi, who raised $243,000. Shekarchi's haul during the traditional winter General Assembly fundraising season boosted his campaign war chest to a robust $2.5 million.

Senate President Dominick Ruggerio raised $149,500.

Go deeper: McKee vs. Foulkes fundraising

Foulkes began April with $298,000 in the bank, compared with $251,000 for McKee.

McKee took $25,000 out of his cash balance to repay himself part of the money he loaned his campaign in 2022.

Foulkes, on the other hand, has not paid herself back any of the $1.84 million she put into her 2022 campaign.

Foulkes spent $26,000 in the first quarter, around $15,000 of it going to CFO Compliance and CFO Consulting Group, the political consultancy founded by now Providence Mayor Brett Smiley. (Smiley took an indefinite leave of absence from the firm when he started working in government in 2015 and now says he has cut all ties.)

Neither McKee nor Foulkes has said publicly whether they intend to run again.

Attorney General Peter Neronha, who was previously exploring a run for governor, looks increasingly unlikely to do so.

Neronha, who is term-limited, raised $8,000 in the first quarter.

Notable first-quarter fundraising totals:

Dan McKeeRaised: $123,000Spent: $76,000, including $25,000 to repay money he loaned his campaignCash on hand: $251,200

Helena FoulkesRaised: $203,700Spent: $26,000Cash on hand: $298,000

Peter NeronhaRaised: $8,000Spent: $15,400Cash on hand: $70,000

K. Joseph ShekarchiRaised: $243,000Spent: $73,300Cash on hand: $2.5 million

Dominick RuggerioRaised: $149,500Spent: $81,200Cash on hand: $166,400

Brett SmileyRaised: $99,000Spent: $24,300Cash on hand: $413,300

Cranston mayoral race

Ken HopkinsRaised: $38,000Spent: $9,600Cash on hand: $213,300

Barbara Ann Fenton-FungRaised: $50,100Spent: $6,000Cash on hand: $155,200

Robert FerriRaised: $59,000, including a $10,000 personal loan to his campaignSpent: $11,800Cash on hand: $94,400

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Will Helena Foulkes run for RI governor? She is raising money like it