Who's In the Race

Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) faces Republican Raymond McKay in the November 3 general election in Rhode Island's U.S. Senate race. ​

Reed, who has represented Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate since 1997, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1971 and served 12 years as an Army officer. He won the Sept. 9 Democratic primary with about 77 percent of the vote over runner-up Connor Burbridge.

McKay served in the U.S. Army from 1981 to 1992, working on electronic maintenance for the Pershing nuclear missile system in West Germany, and later spent 26 years as the City of Warwick's network and telecommunications manager. He was president of the Rhode Island Republican Assembly from 2005 to 2014. McKay ran unopposed in the Sept. 9 Republican primary.

What They Stand For

Reed has supported making health care "affordable and accessible to all," according to his official Senate website. He has also supported protecting Social Security and Medicare, helping older Americans manage the cost of living, and balancing the federal budget without cutting Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security. He also recognizes that a clean environment is important to Rhode Island's economy, public health, and quality of life.

McKay has proposed pursuing U.S. energy independence by strengthening nuclear and fossil-fuel industries while using green-energy solutions efficiently, according to his campaign website. He has also supported efforts to secure Social Security and Medicare by reducing wasteful and duplicative spending and tackling fraud. He has advocated balancing the federal budget, protecting constitutional and Bill of Rights freedoms, including repealing laws he says threaten personal and parental freedoms and free markets, and pursuing immigration and enforcement policies that put Rhode Islanders' and Americans' interests first.

The Money Behind the Race

Through Aug. 20, Reed had raised about $4.5 million and had about $3.1 million in the bank, while McKay, who had raised about $180,000, had about $7,600 left to spend, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Reed's cash on hand is less than his total receipts for this cycle, meaning he's spent much of that money on the campaign. Outside groups spent $10 supporting Reed, with Sierra Club Independent Action as the sole spender, according to FEC outside-spending records.

Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets

Every major handicapper rates this race firmly in Reed's column. Cook Political Report rated it "Solid Democratic" as of Oct. 12; Sabato's Crystal Ball rated it "Solid Democratic" as of Oct. 9; and Inside Elections rated it "Solid Democratic" as of Oct. 2. On Kalshi, traders gave Democrats a 97.63 percent chance of winning as of Oct. 15.

Democrats won both of the state's U.S. House seats in 2022 and 2024. In the state's other Senate seat, Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse won in 2024 with about 60 percent of the vote. Democrat Kamala Harris carried Rhode Island in the 2024 presidential race with about 56 percent of the vote. Rhode Island elections have consistently favored Democrats at the federal level across recent cycles, and the fundraising gap between Reed and McKay leaves the challenger with little room to mount a competitive campaign before November 3.

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