Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat, won his party’s primary on Wednesday, turning back two progressive challengers as he seeks a sixth term representing the state in Washington. Reed, 76, has held his Senate seat since 1996.
Reed defeated Connor Burbridge, described on his campaign website as a “small business owner, elder-care worker, community organizer, and a working-class Rhode Islander,” and Luis Muñoz, a medical school graduate and med tech entrepreneur who previously ran for Rhode Island governor in 2018 and 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile and local reporting.
The primary win advances Reed to the November general election, where he will face Republican Ray McKay, who ran unopposed for his party’s nomination, and independent candidate Michael Bahry.
A Working-Class Cranston Upbringing
Reed’s campaign biography traces his roots to Cranston, Rhode Island, where his father, a World War II veteran, worked as a janitor before rising to custodial supervisor for the city’s entire school system. Reed has pointed to that background as central to his political identity. He went on to attend West Point, served in the Army, and later earned a master’s degree in public policy and a law degree from Harvard.
Establishment Versus the Progressive Wing
The primary contest highlighted a familiar fault line within the Democratic Party. Both Burbridge and Muñoz campaigned on positions well to the left of Reed’s record, including abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, imposing a wealth tax, and cutting off U.S. aid to Israel.
Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has continued to back military assistance to Israel, even as he has criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called for renewed efforts toward a two-state solution.
Reed first won election to the Senate in 1996 after three terms in the House. Beyond his role on Armed Services, he sits on the Appropriations, Banking and Intelligence committees.
A Lopsided Money Race
Federal Election Commission records show the disparity in resources between Reed and his primary challengers was stark. Reed’s campaign reported roughly $3.4 million in total receipts for the 2025-2026 cycle through Aug. 20, with nearly $3.1 million still on hand. Burbridge reported raising just over $25,000 in the same period, and the FEC listed no fundraising totals at all for Muñoz’s campaign heading into the primary.
