Governor of Rhode Island
Jasjit Gotra
CandidateIND
- Race
- Governor of Rhode Island
- Election
- 2026-11-03
- Opponents
- Helena Foulkes (D); Aaron Guckian (R); Ken Block (IND); C.D. Reynolds (IND)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did0 statements · 0 votes
Jasjit "Jay" Gotra, a businessman and former solar-sales company CEO, is running as an independent for governor in his first campaign for office. His campaign, "Grow Rhode Island Together," pairs fiscal discipline with a pledge not to seek a second term if the state is not fiscally profitable by the end of his first.[1][2][3][4]
On the ballotGovernor
2026-11-03
| Helena Foulkes D | challenger |
| Aaron Guckian R | challenger |
| Ken Block IND | challenger |
| Jasjit Gotra IND | challenger |
| C.D. Reynolds IND | challenger |
Biography
Jasjit "Jay" Gotra, a businessman and former solar-sales company CEO, is running as an independent for governor in his first campaign for office. His campaign, "Grow Rhode Island Together," pairs fiscal discipline with a pledge not to seek a second term if the state is not fiscally profitable by the end of his first.[1][2][3][4]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Gotra was born and raised in Mumbai, India, and immigrated to the United States as a teenager, American Bazaar reported.[4] He built a business career that included founding Alliance Security Inc., and he is the former CEO of Smart Green Solar, a solar sales company.[3][4] He lives in East Greenwich.[3]
Gotra filed paperwork declaring his candidacy with the state elections board on May 8, 2026, as a Democrat.[3][5] He later qualified for the November ballot as an independent.[1][2] He has said that if Rhode Island is not fiscally profitable by the end of his first four-year term, he will not run for reelection.[4]
In their own words
Priorities
- Make Rhode Island profitable: run government like a business, publish a state profit-and-loss statement and hold every agency to a budget.[6]
- Honor every pension, including full funding of teachers' and firefighters' pensions.[6]
- Eliminate the state tax on Social Security within the first two years.[6]
- Cut red tape for businesses and bring AI tools into every classroom.[6]
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Loosen zoning rules to build more housing
“This is not a market failure. It is a supply failure — caused by a permitting system that takes years, a regulatory environment that makes building expensive before a single nail is driven, and a government that owns significant parcels of underutilized land and does nothing with them.”[6]
In his 'OWN RI' housing plan on his campaign site
- Faster transition away from fossil fuels
“Convert Rhode Island's closed landfills and brownfields into utility-scale solar farms.”[6]
In his 'POWER RI 2040' energy plan on his campaign site
- Raise taxes on high earners or corporations
“No new taxes. Just accountability.”[6]
On his campaign site's Policies page, under 'Make RI Profitable' (a general pledge, not specific to high earners or corporations)
Campaign moneyNo FEC filing summary matched — state candidates file with their state, not the FEC.
Profile: /people/jasjit-gotra
Compare all 5 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.2026 Rhode Island gubernatorial election · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
- 2.Rhode Island primary election results: Foulkes and Morales topple incumbents · New England Public Media · 2026-09-10 News report
- 3.Former solar sales CEO being sued by AG launches Rhode Island gubernatorial campaign · Rhode Island Current · 2026-05-12 News report
- 4.Indian American Jay Gotra running for governor of Rhode Island · American Bazaar · 2026-06-03 News report
- 5.Election26: As governor, Gotra would 'listen to the people doing the work' · Providence Business News · 2026-10-19 News report
- 6.Policies · Gotra for Governor · 2026-10-19 Candidate's own words