Rhode Island Republican Governor nominee?
$7.2K
SEP 9, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current rolePolitical candidate
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyConservative Republican
LocationRhode Island
BackgroundPolitical candidate
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Notable personal detailsElaine Pelino is a Republican candidate for governor of Rhode Island in the 2026 election cycle. She has described herself as a non-politician and has a background in media/communications; she has also been credited publicly as a former actress and model. She is running as a challenger in the Republican primary for the November 3, 2026 general election.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports lowering taxes to stimulate economic growth, including eliminating the state Social Security tax for seniors and implementing caps on property taxes; emphasizes auditing and reducing wasteful state spending. Advocates incentives to attract businesses and job creation.
Healthcare
Elaine Pelino’s campaign materials emphasize prioritizing citizens, veterans, and seniors for housing and healthcare and propose opening mental health facilities to treat violent or mentally disturbed patients. Her public statements and campaign site do not lay out specific positions on the Affordable Care Act, Medicare/Medicaid changes, a public option, or single-payer reform.
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Immigration & Border
Supports stronger enforcement against undocumented individuals who are felony offenders and opposes illegal welfare use; pledges to work with ICE and federal officials to remove illegal felony offenders and illegal welfare abusers from the state while prioritizing services for citizens, veterans, and seniors.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports the Second Amendment and gun ownership rights and pledges to fully support state law enforcement and resources to address violent crime. Advocates working with federal authorities on removing illegal felony offenders and prioritizing public safety while also supporting mental health facilities for violent patients.
News
Elaine Pelino is in the news as a Republican candidate in Rhode Island’s Senate race. The latest fundraising roundup says she is trailing Aaron Guckian, who has far more cash on hand. She is also listed among the Republican candidates for governor, though recent coverage has focused more on the Democratic primary than on her campaign.
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Endorsements
- Fundraising