Rhode Island had itself a night. Governor Dan McKee, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, and Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien all lost their primaries Wednesday — an unprecedented trifecta of incumbent-toppling that political historians say has never happened in one Rhode Island election cycle, let alone a single primary night. Helena Foulkes, a former CVS executive, demolished McKee 62-38 in a rematch of their razor-thin 2022 race, sweeping every city and town in the state. In Providence, 27-year-old Democratic Socialist State Rep. David Morales — outspent nearly six-to-one — became the first challenger in city history to beat a sitting mayor, running on rent stabilization and a promise to blunt ICE enforcement.

Why should Massachusetts readers care about a Rhode Island primary? Because the story here isn't really about Rhode Island — it's about the mood of the entire region's Democratic electorate. McKee got buried under the weight of the Washington Bridge fiasco (a $427 million bill and counting for a bridge that was supposed to cost $368 million and be done already), and Smiley got outflanked by a candidate who made housing costs and policing the entire campaign. Sound familiar? Boston's own Mayor Michelle Wu is watching two of her own progressive Senate picks either lose or head to a recount, and she's framing those results — not unreasonably — as evidence of the same anti-incumbent, tired-of-the-status-quo energy that just leveled Rhode Island's political establishment. If you're an incumbent anywhere in New England heading into 2026 with an affordability problem and a credibility gap, Wednesday night should worry you.

What happens next: Foulkes becomes the heavy favorite in a reliably blue state against either Aaron Guckian or Elaine Pelino (still uncalled) on the Republican side, and independent Ken Block's path just got a lot narrower. Morales takes over a City Hall he's promised to overhaul within 100 days, starting with reviving the rent stabilization ordinance Smiley vetoed. Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos, notably, survived her own competitive primary — the only incumbent in a top statewide post to do so. Full story at Boston Globe →

Brownsberger recount underway, and it's a nail-biter. State Sen. William Brownsberger, the third-most powerful Democrat in the Senate, is locked in a recount against challenger Daniel Lander, who's backed by Mayor Wu. The margin has swung from a three-vote Lander lead to a roughly two-dozen-vote Brownsberger lead as Watertown, Boston, Belmont, and Cambridge sort through ballots — with recounts wrapping up Thursday. Eleven of his Senate colleagues showed up in a show of solidarity. CommonWealth Beacon →

Wu says legislative losses prove voters want change — even when her candidates lost. Speaking on Boston Public Radio, the mayor argued that two progressive challengers she backed — one who lost outright, one still in recount limbo — sent a message to entrenched incumbents regardless of the final tally. "Longtime incumbents with big war chests... can't just cruise to reelection," she said. GBH News →

Kratom quietly disappears from Massachusetts shelves. Since Gov. Maura Healey's administration classified kratom as a Schedule I drug on Aug. 28, inspectors across the state — including in Worcester, where officials estimate half of retailers didn't even know about the ban — report smooth, mostly confrontation-free compliance as smoke shops and convenience stores clear their stock. WBUR →

Flock cameras keep generating scandal, and cities keep them anyway. A New Bedford officer allegedly used license-plate readers to track an ex-girlfriend. Two Lynn officers are on leave after an audit flagged "concerning" search patterns. A Revere officer used the system 18 times to track a former partner and was briefly suspended — but Revere's chief says the cameras are staying put. WCVB →

Massachusetts cannabis industry hits $10 billion in sales — right as voters may kill it. A decade after legalization, adult-use marijuana sales here have crossed $10 billion, generating over $1.5 billion a year. But the milestone lands awkwardly: a November ballot question could repeal non-medical marijuana legalization entirely. WBUR →

Ballot question money is pouring in — just not as fast as 2022. Campaigns around this fall's nine ballot questions have raised more than $18 million so far, pitting business groups against unions and the marijuana industry against out-of-state opponents. Still, that's only about three-quarters of what a similar point in the 2022 cycle raised — even with more than double the questions on the ballot. CommonWealth Beacon →

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