Dan McKee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dan McKee
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McKee in 2022
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| 76th Governor of Rhode Island | |
| Assumed office March 2, 2021 |
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| Lieutenant | Sabina Matos |
| Preceded by | Gina Raimondo |
| 69th Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island | |
| In office January 6, 2015 – March 2, 2021 |
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| Governor | Gina Raimondo |
| Preceded by | Elizabeth Roberts |
| Succeeded by | Sabina Matos |
| Mayor of Cumberland | |
| In office January 7, 2007 – January 6, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | David Iwuc |
| Succeeded by | William Murray |
| In office January 2001 – January 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Frank Gaschen |
| Succeeded by | David Iwuc |
| Member of the Cumberland Town Council | |
| In office 1992–1998 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Daniel J. McKee
June 16, 1951 Cumberland, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Susan McGill |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Assumption University (BA) Harvard University (MPA) |
| Website | Government website |
Daniel J. McKee (born June 16, 1951) is an American politician and businessman. He is currently the 76th governor of Rhode Island, a role he has held since 2021. Before becoming governor, he was Rhode Island's 69th lieutenant governor from 2015 to 2021. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Dan McKee was born in Cumberland, Rhode Island. He went to Assumption College for his first degree. Later, he earned a master's degree from the Harvard Kennedy School. He served on the Cumberland town council from 1992 to 1998. He was also the mayor of Cumberland two times. He was mayor from 2000 to 2004 and again from 2006 until 2014.
McKee was first elected lieutenant governor in 2014 and won reelection in 2018. When Governor Gina Raimondo left her position in 2021, Dan McKee became governor. He was then elected to a full term as governor in the 2022 election.
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Dan McKee's Early Life and School
After finishing Cumberland High School, Dan McKee went to college. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in education and political science. This was from Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1973.
Later, in 2005, he continued his education. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree. This advanced degree was from the Harvard Kennedy School.
What Dan McKee Did Before Politics
Before his political career, Dan McKee was involved in his family's business. He was an officer at McKee Brothers. This company delivered heating oil and provided heating and air conditioning services. His grandfather started this business.
McKee also owned and ran a health and fitness business. He managed this business for more than 30 years.
While serving on the Cumberland, Rhode Island Town Council from 1992 to 1998, he was also a basketball coach. He spent six terms as the mayor of Cumberland.
Dan McKee has also been a dedicated member of the community. For over 25 years, he served on the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Cumberland-Lincoln. He was even the past president of their executive board.
Becoming Lieutenant Governor
In 2013, Dan McKee decided to run for Rhode island lieutenant governor. He won the Democratic primary election. In this election, he beat Secretary of State of Rhode Island Ralph Mollis and State Representative Frank Ferri.
In the main election, he ran against Republican Catherine Terry Taylor. She was an aide and speechwriter for U.S. Senators John Chafee and Lincoln Chafee. McKee won with 54.3% of the votes. He was elected again in 2018.
On January 7, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden chose Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo for a new role. She was selected to be the Secretary of Commerce. Since McKee was next in line, he became governor. This happened after Raimondo was approved by the United States Senate on March 2, 2021.
In February 2021, McKee started to create a special team. This team was an advisory board to help with COVID-19. He had previously said that the vaccine rollout under the previous governor was too slow.
Becoming Governor of Rhode Island
Dan McKee officially became the 76th governor of Rhode Island on March 2, 2021.
In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Rhode Island, Governor McKee focused on getting people vaccinated. His main goal was to speed up the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. By July 4, Rhode Island had vaccinated over 633,000 people. This meant 70% of its adult population was fully vaccinated. Rhode Island was the fifth state to reach this important goal.
Also in July 2021, McKee ended the state's mask rule. However, he extended the COVID-19 emergency declaration until August 6. This was because of the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus. On February 8, 2022, Governor McKee announced that Rhode Island would remove mask rules. This decision was made as the infection rate for COVID-19 went down.
In February 2022, McKee announced he would run for reelection. He wanted to serve a full four-year term as governor. He won the Democratic primary election on September 13. It was a close race with four other candidates. He then defeated Republican Ashley Kalus in the main general election.
Governor McKee supports laws that control guns. He has stated that he would support a ban on assault weapons.
Images for kids
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McKee in 2022
