CRANSTON — A week after Primary Day, Rhode Island’s Board of Elections completed recounts in three tight contests and found no changes, formally certifying the primary results Tuesday evening.
Hand counts produce no surprises
Board staff began recounting ballots at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the races, including the closely watched Republican primary for governor. The afternoon hand counts affirmed the preliminary tallies: Aaron Guckian remained the Republican nominee for governor, and the two incumbent Providence City Council members kept their seats.
The governor’s race drew the most attention. Elaine Pelino requested a recount after losing to Guckian by 259 votes in the initial tally. The recount did not change the outcome.
“This was a chance to stand up for election integrity,” Pelino told 12 News after the recount.
Pelino told reporters she would "keep her head held high," a polite way of saying she saw the process through to the end even without the result she wanted.
Two Providence council races also unchanged
Two Providence City Council races that had been decided by narrow margins were also recounted. In Ward 4, Joseph Casoli challenged incumbent Justin Roias after losing the Democratic primary by 55 votes. The recount upheld Roias’ victory. In Ward 9, Carmen Castillo’s loss to incumbent Juan Pichardo by a single-digit margin likewise stood after the recount.
With no changes from the recounts, the Board of Elections moved ahead with formal certification Tuesday evening, officially locking in the primary outcomes.
What was at stake
The certified results determine who will appear on the November ballot and shape both statewide and local general-election matchups. The recounts were routine procedures available under state rules when margins are tight and candidates request further review.
- Governor GOP primary: Aaron Guckian — declared winner by 259 votes; recount confirmed result.
- Providence Ward 4: Justin Roias — incumbent; initial margin 55 votes; recount confirmed result.
- Providence Ward 9: Juan Pichardo — incumbent; initial margin single digits; recount confirmed result.
| Race | Pre-recount margin | Post-recount change |
|---|---|---|
| GOP governor (Guckian vs. Pelino) | 259 votes | None — result unchanged |
| Providence Ward 4 (Roias vs. Casoli) | 55 votes | None — result unchanged |
| Providence Ward 9 (Pichardo vs. Castillo) | Single-digit margin | None — result unchanged |
Process and context
Recounts are part of the checks and balances that accompany modern elections, especially when races are decided by small margins. They do not automatically indicate irregularities; rather, they offer candidates reassurance that every ballot was tabulated correctly.
State election staff led the recounts. Results came in Tuesday afternoon, and the board completed certification later that evening. The prompt handling kept the calendar on track for candidates preparing for the general election campaign and for election officials who must close the books and prepare ballots for November.
What candidates and voters should know
Candidates who disagree with preliminary counts can request a recount under Rhode Island rules, but a recount will only change an outcome in tight cases where tabulation errors or misread ballots occur. For voters, certification means those primary contests are settled — barring any rare legal challenges beyond the board’s certification.
Tuesday’s results remove uncertainty for the nominees and allow campaigns to pivot fully to the fall cycle. For Guckian, it means an uncontested path to the Republican line on the November ballot; for Roias and Pichardo, it means holding on to the council seats they’ll defend in the next phase.
Election watchers who love the arithmetic of close races got their fix — and nothing in the recounts changed the headlines. The Board of Elections’ move to certify is the technical end of this chapter; now the real campaigns begin.
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