Democrat Helena Buonanno Foulkes and independent Ken Block both supported a line-item veto during a gubernatorial forum at Roger Williams University School of Law on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. The forum was broadcast live on Ocean State Media. Compared with the insult-laced, tense exchanges in both parties’ gubernatorial primaries, the first head-to-head between general election candidates Helena Buonanno Foulkes and Ken Block proved mild, even congenial.
Despite their different labels – Foulkes, a Democrat, and Block, an independent – there was little daylight between the competitors on many of the questions posed by moderator Ian Donnis, Ocean State Media political reporter, during the hourlong forum at Roger Williams University School of Law on Wednesday night. Republican Aaron Guckian was invited, but canceled Wednesday morning because of a scheduling conflict, Michael Fahey, his campaign spokesperson, confirmed.
Organized by the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and the League of Women Voters, the event put women’s issues and equity for marginalized communities front and center. Both Block and Foulkes pledged to bring more diversity to state government while reforming the state’s contracting laws governing procurement and purchasing contracts to women and minority-owned businesses. Each said they would support a Rhode Island Voting Rights Act to enshrine discrimination protections for voters into state law amid federal rollbacks.
Neither thought state policies and funding adequately addressed affordability concerns, particularly for vulnerable populations like domestic violence victims, low-income residents who qualify for government subsidized healthcare, and prospective homeowners priced out of every community in the state. Differences emerged on tax and spending, however. Block, who ran as a Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2014, touted classic conservative lines about “regressive” and “unnecessary” taxes and fees while denouncing the one-third of state spending devoted to Medicaid.
“Our $5 billion Medicaid spending needs to be smaller,” Block, 60, of Barrington, said in his closing statements. A software engineer whose consulting firm has helped optimize spending and root out waste and fraud for international companies and state governments, Block suggested that state Medicaid spending could be trimmed without adverse impacts on the low-income families who qualify for it. “We need to spend that money differently than it is right now,” he said, referring to annual reports by the state auditor general which routinely flag overpayments or errors in the Medicaid system.
Foulkes, a former CVS executive, instead advocated for increasing state Medicaid spending to maximize matching federal dollars and raise reimbursement rates to healthcare providers. Low reimbursement rates relative to neighboring states are routinely cited as a reason for problems recruiting and retaining primary care doctors and other healthcare providers. Foulkes, 62, of Providence, also touted her vocal support for the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act, which since its 2023 passage has ensured insurance coverage for abortion for Medicaid participants.
Although the forum did not offer a chance for candidates to respond to each other, Foulkes criticized Block for his relatively weaker position on protecting abortion access, gender-affirming care and other key services under threat by the Trump administration. Block said he would sign any bills sent to him by the General Assembly. Foulkes’ take: “I don’t think just saying you’ll sign what the assembly passes speaks to advocacy for reproductive health. In this national environment, we need someone who will take a stand.”
