Thanks, Julie, for agreeing to do this. We want to bring to our audience results of the fourth annual Rhode Island Survey Initiative poll on several topics, including healthcare. First, though, please tell us about the poll, released today — how many Rhode Islanders were surveyed, when it was conducted, and so forth.
The fourth annual survey (2026) was administered online by YouGov, an international market-research and data-analytics firm, from July 29 to August 13, 2026. We gathered data on answers from 500 Rhode Island adults ages 18 and older. Respondents were matched to a statewide sampling frame and the final data were weighted to known targets for gender, age, race/ethnicity, education, and region. The estimated margin of error for the full sample is ±5.73%. Not all survey questions are presented in the report.
What is the history of the survey?
The Rhode Island Survey Initiative at the University of Rhode Island began in 2022 out of the College of Arts and Sciences, with the first survey conducted and report published in 2023.
Each year, one major theme is selected for in-depth study, as well as a set of timely current-events items, and a core battery of questions tracked annually. Previous RISI major themes were education (2023), elections (2024), and housing (2025). For RISI 2026, the major theme is healthcare.
The initiative began with the following goals:
- Fill a gap in statewide polling by creating consistent, wide-ranging opinion surveys focused on Rhode Island.
- Provide a tool for policymakers, media, academic researchers, and others interested in key issues affecting the Ocean State.
- Advance research related to media, communication, political science, and other social science disciplines.
- Give students opportunities to work alongside faculty experts to identify issues, craft survey questions, and analyze data.
What are the branches of URI that support it?
The Rhode Island Survey Initiative is led by the University of Rhode Island’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Social Science Institute for Research, Education, and Policy. RISI receives additional support from the John Hazen White Sr. Center for Ethics and Public Service at URI and, in 2026, the URI College of Health Sciences at URI.
OK, now let’s zero in on some of the findings, starting with healthcare. Please give us a snapshot of the healthcare results.
The findings this year reveal that healthcare costs are a big concern for Rhode Islanders. Although most respondents gave the overall healthcare system in Rhode Island a grade of “C,” which is “satisfactory,” most gave the cost of healthcare in the state a “D,” which is “poor,” indicating that much more should be done to make healthcare affordable in our state.
When asked about how worried they were about affording household expenses, such as groceries, gas, monthly rent, etc., worries over healthcare costs were most common, with 72% of respondents indicating they were either very worried (33%) or somewhat worried (39%) about healthcare costs for themselves and their families.
The data also show that unaffordable healthcare costs lead to barriers to care. Twenty-nine percent of respondents had delayed seeking medical care in the last 12 months due to cost.
Furthermore, when a medical procedure, lab test, or other evaluation was recommended by a doctor, 29% chose not to pursue the recommended care. Of that group, the most common reason for not pursuing care was that they could not afford it (47%).
Same question regarding support for a public medical school.
In addressing the primary-care doctor shortage, 82% of respondents somewhat support or strongly support creating a public medical school at URI to train more primary doctors. This is up from 75% in 2025.
This was the most popular approach listed to addressing our primary care shortage in the state, though all approaches received 65% or more support. All approaches have more support in 2026 than in 2025.
Same question regarding housing.
Eighty-two percent of respondents believe that the cost of housing is “somewhat of a problem” or “a big problem”. This is true across the political spectrum.
Respondents were asked to provide the top two factors that are driving up housing prices in Rhode Island. Forty-three percent blame landlords for price gouging their tenants and 28% say not enough investment in public housing. These were the most common reasons selected.
Same question regarding quality of life/economy.
The rate of Rhode Islanders who are satisfied with life in Rhode Island is slightly higher compared to last year’s survey (but within margin of error), with 53% in 2025 and 60% in 2026 saying they are somewhat or very satisfied with life in Rhode Island.
Their perceptions of the economy are also slightly higher in 2026 (but within margin of error). Twenty-six percent say it is somewhat or very strong this year compared with 22% in 2025.
Same question regarding media usage.
Television remains the most common way respondents said they get political news, with 54% saying they watch always or often in 2026. (In 2025, that rate was 56%). Residents getting their news via print media is steady from 2025 to 2026 (19% always/often). Interestingly, the rate of residents getting news from podcasts increased from 16% in 2025 to 21% in 2026.
Overall, social media being used to get political or election news remained fairly consistent over the last three years of survey data in terms of most common sources. Facebook and YouTube remain the dominant sources (Facebook at 54% of respondents using it frequently to get political news during a typical week and YouTube at 44%); Instagram use is 35% and TikTok is 26%.
Same question regarding trust in government
Trust in local and state government has held fairly steady over the past three years.
Also, trust in the federal government was very close to 2025 data, with 41% having a fair amount or a great deal of trust in the federal government in 2026, compared with 39% in 2025.
Same question regarding the gubernatorial election outlook.
Democratic Candidates: Our data shows stronger support for Helena Foulkes in the hypothetical matchups, both among voters overall (5% to 6% increase), and among Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. More voters from all of these groups indicate they will vote for Foulkes in higher numbers than they’ll vote for Gov. Dan McKee.
Republican Candidates: Republicans Elaine Pelino and Aaron Guckian perform similarly in a matchup against incumbent McKee, according to our data. Independent candidate Ken Block also performs similarly in these two latter hypotheticals.
Independent candidate Ken Block loses significant support from independents when the ballot changes from McKee to Foulkes, as independents change their preference and move toward Foulkes. Block goes from having 31% of independents supporting him in a race with McKee, Pelino and Block down to 16% of their support when the ballot becomes Foulkes/Pelino/Block.
A note: The hypothetical gubernatorial matchups were asked in similar fashion in UNH’s recent Ocean State poll.
Top Priorities for General Assembly and Governor
Respondents were asked this year what their top three priorities were for the governor and general assembly. (See 2025 vs. 2026 figure.)
In 2026, housing overtook healthcare compared to 2025 results, but only slightly, with 64% of respondents naming housing as one of the most important issues for the Governor and General Assembly and 62% naming healthcare. Building and repairing roads and bridges came in third at 37%.
Education (30%), crime (26%), and aid to the poor (25%) held steady as mid-tier concerns.
Protecting the environment held steady between 2025 and 2026, while clean energy rose from 9% last year to 14% this year.
Democrats, Republicans, and Independents all equally feel that housing (No. 1) and healthcare (No. 2) are the top two priorities the state should address.
For Republicans, building and repairing roads and bridges is tied with healthcare second-highest priority, and the third highest is dealing with crime.
For Independents: building and repairing roads and bridges AND aid to the poor are tied for third-most important priority. Democrats feel that education is the third-most important priority in this state.
