PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Incumbent Gov. Gina Raimondo has won the Democratic nomination for governor of Rhode Island, Eyewitness News projects.

Raimondo defeated former Secretary of State Matt Brown. Former state Rep. Spencer Dickinson placed third.

Raimondo, who was first elected in 2014, found herself in an unexpectedly competitive primary against Brown, who reemerged last spring after a decade out of Rhode Island politics to challenge her. Brown argued Raimondo was not progressive enough and controlled by her donors, while Raimondo argued Brown ran his last campaign irresponsibly and highlighted the state’s improving economy.

In her victory speech, Raimondo applauded Brown and Dickinson for their efforts before talking about her first term and how she would move forward if she wins a second.

“This wasn’t such a great place, high unemployment rate, one of the highest in the country, roads falling apart, schools falling down, we had stopped investing and people were hungry for change,” Raimondo said of the state before she was elected. “And so we’ve been working as fast as we can to bring that change and tonight the people of Rhode Island have said: do more, go faster and keep going, so that’s what we’re going to do.”

Raimondo will face Cranston Mayor Allan Fung , as well as Moderate William Gilbert and independents Joe Trillo, Luis Daniel Muñoz and Anne Armstrong, in the general election Nov. 6.

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