Sen. Jack Reed defeated two staunch progressive challengers Wednesday, extending his three-decade hold on Rhode Island’s Democratic Senate nomination as he seeks a sixth term in Washington.
The 76-year-old incumbent now advances to November’s general election after surviving an intraparty challenge centered partly on Israel, immigration enforcement, and economic policy.
Reed defeated Connor Burbridge, an elder-care worker and community organizer, and Luis Daniel Muñoz, a medical school graduate and technology entrepreneur who previously sought statewide office.
Unofficial results showed Reed taking roughly 76% of the Democratic primary vote, compared with approximately 14% for Burbridge and just under 10% for Muñoz.
Reed will face Republican Ray McKay and independent candidate Michael Bahry in the November 3 general election.
McKay did not face an opponent in the Republican primary, according to Rhode Island election records.
Reed has represented Rhode Island in the Senate since 1997 after first winning election in 1996.
Before entering the Senate, he served three terms in the U.S. House and previously served in the Army after graduating from West Point.
Reed currently serves as the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee and also sits on the Appropriations, Banking and Intelligence committees.
His two challengers attempted to run to his left on several issues, creating a clear ideological contrast in the Democratic primary.
Burbridge campaigned as a working-class progressive and supported policies including higher taxes on wealthy Americans and significant changes to federal immigration enforcement.
Muñoz also challenged Reed from the left and emphasized healthcare, economic inequality and opposition to continued U.S. military assistance to Israel.
Reed has supported continued security assistance for Israel while also criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and calling for renewed efforts toward a two-state solution.
That position became one of the dividing lines in the primary as progressive candidates around the country continued pressing establishment Democrats over U.S. policy toward Israel.
Reed entered the contest with an overwhelming financial advantage over both challengers.
JUST IN: Jack Reed has clinched the Democratic nomination to serve another term as U.S. Senator from Rhode Island.
Onward! pic.twitter.com/BAyHQf11Sl
— Democrats (@TheDemocrats) September 10, 2026
Sen. Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), who has served in the Senate since 1997, defeated two little-known challengers in Wednesday’s Democratic primary. https://t.co/Rj34UwVXgs
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 10, 2026
Federal Election Commission records show his campaign reported approximately $3.38 million in receipts during the 2025-2026 cycle through August 20 and nearly $3.1 million in cash on hand.
Burbridge, by comparison, reported raising approximately $25,000 during the same period, while Muñoz reported far less campaign activity.
Reed has long emphasized his working-class Rhode Island roots, frequently noting that his father was a World War II veteran who worked as a janitor before becoming a custodial supervisor in Cranston’s school system.
He later attended West Point, served as an Army paratrooper and went on to earn graduate degrees in public policy and law from Harvard.
Reed first entered Congress in 1991 and has not lost an election since.
His victory Wednesday secured another Democratic nomination more than 30 years after he first won statewide office.
The result also showed that Rhode Island Democratic primary voters were not prepared to replace the longtime incumbent with either of the two progressive alternatives.
Reed now turns toward a general election campaign against McKay and Bahry as he seeks another six-year term.
The Rhode Island secretary of state’s candidate records confirm Reed, McKay and Bahry as the remaining Senate candidates heading into November.
For Reed, Wednesday’s result extends one of the longest uninterrupted electoral runs of any senator currently serving, Fox News reported.
For his progressive challengers, the primary offered an opportunity to test whether dissatisfaction with longtime Democratic incumbents could translate into an upset against one of Rhode Island’s most established political figures.
This time, it did not.
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