Senator Jack Reed dominated Rhode Island’s Democratic primary, capturing roughly 76% of the vote to secure the party’s nomination for a sixth term in the U.S. Senate.
Reed, 76, defeated two progressive challengers who struggled to gain significant traction among Democratic primary voters in the reliably blue state.
Connor Burbridge, a 31-year-old elder care worker, finished in second place with 14% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Rhode Island Board of Elections.
Dr. Luis Daniel Muñoz, a medical school graduate who has worked as a technology consultant, came in third with 9.8% of the vote.
Reed, a former U.S. Army paratrooper who was first elected to the Senate in 1996, was widely expected to win after every public poll showed him comfortably ahead of both opponents.
Neither challenger had significant name recognition, and neither drew the broad grassroots backing that has fueled other progressive insurgent campaigns in recent years.
Burbridge did earn endorsements from a handful of current and former elected officials and organizations, though the Democratic Socialists of America did not back either challenger.
Reed campaigned on his decades of legislative experience, emphasizing the federal funding he has secured for Rhode Island in areas including affordable housing and infrastructure investment.
Both challengers targeted Reed over his support for Israel, a position the senator defended while arguing that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has caused “great harm” to the Middle Eastern ally’s international standing.
Reed will now face Raymond McKay, the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee, in the November general election.
With Rhode Island considered a solidly Democratic state, Reed enters the general election as a heavy favorite to win another six-year term on Capitol Hill.
His primary result reflects the enduring strength of long-serving incumbents who leverage federal accomplishments and institutional support to fend off progressive challenges within their own parties.
