In the small but storied democracy of Rhode Island, a sitting governor has been turned out by his own party — a rare act of democratic self-correction that speaks to the restlessness voters feel when leadership no longer matches the moment. Daniel McKee, who inherited the governorship in 2021 and carried it through years of economic uncertainty, fell Tuesday to challenger Ned Foulkes in a primary defeat that hadn't been seen in the state for eight years. Such moments remind us that incumbency is a loan, not a gift, and that electorates reserve the right to call it due.