Rhode Island held primaries on September 9 for the state’s three ballot-qualified parties, the Democratic, Republican, and Moderate Parties. Ken Block, who had founded the Moderate Party four years ago, had changed his registration to the Republican Party and had sought the party’s 2014 gubernatorial nomination. However, he lost the primary to Allan Fung, Republican Mayor of Cranston.

The Moderate Party has its own gubernatorial candidate, but he is not likely to poll as much as 5% in November, and will probably lose its qualified status.