Why Ashley Kalus Might Be Rhode Island’s Best Shot in 2026
Tired of McKee vs. Foulkes? Here’s the candidate who could actually change the direction of this state.
Why I Think Ashley Kalus Should Run And Win in 2026
I’ve spent the last few weeks digging into the numbers and listening to what people are saying, and one thing is obvious: Rhode Islanders are not excited about a Dan McKee vs. Helena Foulkes showdown for control of this state.
On one side you have an incumbent governor with approval stuck in the basement, suddenly discovering big “affordability” ideas in an election year that should have been priorities from day one. On the other, a former CVS executive leading a primary largely because she isn’t McKee, not because she’s proven she can break the culture that gave us a crumbling bridge, a broken housing market, and schools in chaos. That’s not a real choice; that’s “which insider do you mistrust less?”
That’s why I keep coming back to Ashley Kalus.
Is she perfect? No. She ran in 2022, took her hits, and lost in a deep‑blue year. But she also did something no other Republican in this field has done: she ran a serious statewide race, earned real name recognition, and showed she can compete outside the GOP bubble. A lot of Republican voters still want her back on the ballot. More importantly, a lot of independents remember her and are now looking at the current mess wondering if they made the right call.
Ashley Kalus might actually be the best option in this race not a consolation prize, but the one candidate who isn’t owned by the State House machine, has signed real paychecks, and can look the political class in the eye and say: the bridge, the housing crisis, and the school failures are on all of you. If she’s willing to run on cutting red tape for small businesses, forcing towns to allow more housing instead of hiding behind local games, and putting professional managers in charge of big projects with real deadlines, she could speak directly to commuters, renters, seniors, and parents who are tired of excuses.
If Ashley Kalus decides to run, she would have my full support, and I’d be willing to help in any way I can to help her get elected here in Rhode Island. I believe she can do it. She already has strong Republican support, and I have no doubt independents could get on board too. It’s time for a change, and it’s time for all Rhode Islanders to be open‑minded and ask themselves: can we really keep going with the same one‑party political machine that has run this state for nearly 90 years? Forget the letter in front of someone’s name this is not about D.C. politics. This is about Rhode Island, and about fixing Rhode Island. Ashley can do that.
Serious question for you:
If Ashley jumped into this race, would you support her — or at least give her a fair second look?
Comment YES or NO and tell me why.