Unofficial, early results show Aaron Guckian and Elaine Pelino neck in neck in Rhode Island's contentious Republican primary for governor.
Polls closed at 8 p.m., and with 65.1% of precincts reporting, Aaron Guckian was splitting the vote 50-50 with Elaine Pelino.
The race pitted the traditional moderate New England wing of the party against the conservative MAGA faction.
Guckian, who unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor in 2022, represents the more moderate wing of the Republican Party and describes himself as a "compassionate conservative."
He served as former Republican Gov. Donald Carcieri's director of advance, later worked as a development officer at The Rhode Island Foundation, and was the executive director of the Rhode Island Dental Association until November 2025.
Guckian, 50, is also a trained opera singer. His campaign slogan, "Think Big," emphasized his 6 feet, 7 inch height.
Pelino, 72, is a former model/actress/entertainer and a Donald Trump acolyte.
Her credentials include publishing Tigress Magazine: For the Fierce, One of a Kind Woman, and a stint as a cheerleader for the Houston Oilers.
Guckian won the Rhode Island Republican Party's endorsement, but in the lead-up to the election, Pelino appeared to have an advantage in the polls.
The winner of the Sept. 9 primary will face independent Ken Block as well as the Democratic nominee in the general election.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Guckian, Pelino neck-and-neck in close Republican governor's race