N. Kingstown's Ken McKay Named State GOP Chairman

Rhode Island's Republican Party has a fresh face at its helm after the appointment of North Kingstown native Kenneth McKay IV as the group's new chairman, the first from South County.

In a convention this past Saturday at the Quonset 'O' Club, members of the state's GOP named McKay their new chairman after opponent Patrick Sweeney bowed out at the last minute, avoiding a possible rift in the party. McKay will take over the reigns  from Barrington's Giovanni Cicione.

McKay's political career began when his grandfather brought him along to North Kingstown Town Committee meetings. From there, McKay went on to run both of Donald Carcieri's gubernatorial campaigns and served as his chief of staff before venturing down to Washington, D.C. where he was a top aide to Michael Steele and the Republican National Committee. Most recently, McKay worked on Rick Scott's successful campaign for Florida governor.

 McKay said he hopes to integrate his political experience at both the state and national level to help Rhode Island's GOP population. 

"All I can do is try to take whatever professional experience I've gained and combine that with passion and dedication for conservative principles and organize a better party," he said.

For McKay, unifying the state's Republican party and expanding its base are top priorities and he said he hopes to use his experience with past successful campaigns to build it "from the ground up." 

State Rep. Larry Ehrhardt (R-District 32) said he was "delighted" by McKay's appointment and is very optimistic and hopeful for the next two years.

"I think it's a tremendous opportunity for the state party to have someone with such a breadth of experience," said Ehrhardt. "I think it should bode very well for us. I certainly think he has the energy and experience to do it."

With his experience outside of Little Rhody, why does McKay want to stay in Rhode Island?

"My family, and I love it here," said McKay. "We want to keep our kids here. We are Rhode Islanders. It's a small place and everyone's close."

McKay, grandson of the founder of McKay's furniture, was raised in North Kingstown before moving with his family around the region. He said the magnetic forces of North Kingstown, however, brought him back to the town in the late 1990s, where he now lives with his wife and children.

McKay also acknowledges that one of his motives to seek the chairmanship was to improve his home state and make it a place where people want to stay and also raise their families.

"I can wish it was a better place or I can do something about it," said McKay. "I decided to do something about it."