Rhode Island Senate

Upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly

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Rhode Island Senate

Seal of the Rhode Island Senate

Type
Type|

Upper house

of the Rhode Island General Assembly

Term limits

| None
History

New session started

| January 3, 2023
Leadership

President

Dominick J. Ruggerio (D)
since March 23, 2017

Majority Leader

Valerie Lawson (D)
since January 7, 2025

Minority Leader

Jessica de la Cruz (R)
since August 2, 2022

Structure
Seats| 38

Political groups

| Majority (33)

* Democratic (33)

Minority (5)

* Republican (5)

Length of term

| 2 years
Authority| Article VI, Constitution of Rhode Island
Salary| $19,036/year
Elections

Voting system

| First-past-the-post

Last election

| November 5, 2024
(38 seats)

Next election

| November 3, 2026
(38 seats)
Redistricting| Legislative Control
Meeting place
Senate Chamber
Rhode Island State Capitol
Providence, Rhode Island
Website
Rhode Island Senate

The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the lower house being the Rhode Island House of Representatives. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of whom is elected to a two-year term. Rhode Island is one of the 14 states where its upper house serves at a two-year cycle, rather than the normal four-year term as in most states. There is no limit to the number of terms that a Senator may serve. The Rhode Island Senate meets at the Rhode Island State Capitol in Providence.

Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to executive departments, commissions and boards and Justices to the Rhode Island Judiciary.

## Senate leadership

[edit]

The President of the Senate presides over the body, appointing members to all of the Senate's committees and joint committees, and may create other committees and subcommittees if desired. Unlike most other states, the Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island does not preside over the Senate, and is instead active in other areas such as state commissions on health and businesses. In the Senate President's absence, the President Pro Tempore presides.

### Democratic leadership

[edit]

* Dominick J. Ruggerio (D) - President of the Senate[1]
* Valarie Lawson (D) – Majority Leader[1]

### Republican leadership

[edit]

* Jessica de la Cruz (R) – Minority Leader
* Gordon Rogers (R) – Minority Whip

## Committee leadership

[edit]

Committee | Chair | Vice Chair | Secretary

|
|
|

Commerce  | V. Susan Sosnowski (D) | Roger Picard (D) | Tiara Mack (D)
Education  | Sandra Cano (D) | Hanna Gallo (D) | Ana Quezada (D)
Environment and Agriculture  | Alana DiMario (D) | Matthew LaMountain (D) | David Tikoian (D)
Finance  | Louis DiPalma (D) | Melissa Murray (D) | Walter Felag (D)
Health and Human Services  | Joshua Miller (D) | Bridget Valverde (D) | Pamela J. Lauria (D)
Housing and Municipal Government  | Roger Picard (D) | Meghan Kallman (D) | Gordon Rogers (R)
Judiciary  | Dawn Euer (D) | Frank Lombardi (D) | Leonidas Raptakis (D)
Labor  | Frank Ciccone (D) | Frank Lombardi (D) | John Burke (D)
Rules, Government Ethics and Oversight  | Mark McKenney (D) | Valarie Lawson (D) | Sam Zurier (D)
Special Legislation and Veterans' Affairs  | Walter Felag (D) | Leonidas Raptakis (D) | Valarie Lawson (D)

## Make-up of the Senate

[edit]

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (January 2023)

|

2019-2021 Legislative Session
Affiliation  | Party

(Shading indicates majority caucus)

| Total  |

|
|
|

|  |  |
Democratic | Republican | Ind | Vacant
2011-2012  | 29  | 8  | 1  | 38  | 0
2013-2014  | 32  | 5  | 1  | 38  | 0
Begin 2015  | 32  | 5  | 1  | 38  | 0
2015-2016  | 33  | 0
Begin 2017  | 33  | 5  | 0  | 38  | 0
2017-2019  | 32  | 1
Begin 2019  | 33  | 5  | 0  | 38  | 0
Begin 2023  | 33  | 5  | 0  | 38  | 0
Latest voting share  | 86.8%  | 13.2%  |

### Members of the Rhode Island Senate

[edit]

District  | Senator  | Party  | Representing  | First elected

|
|
|
|

1 | Jake Bissaillon | Dem | Providence | 2023*
2 | Ana Quezada | Dem | Providence | 2016
3 | Sam Zurier | Dem | Providence | 2021*
4 | Dominick J. Ruggerio | Dem | Providence | 1984
5 | Sam Bell | Dem | Providence | 2018
6 | Tiara Mack | Dem | Providence | 2020
7 | Frank Ciccone | Dem | Providence, North Providence | 2002
8 | Lori Urso | Dem | Pawtucket | 2024[a]
9 | John Burke | Dem | West Warwick | 2020
10 | Walter Felag | Dem | Tiverton, Warren | 1998
11 | Linda Ujifusa | Dem | Bristol, Portsmouth | 2022
12 | Louis DiPalma | Dem | Little Compton, Middletown | 2008
13 | Dawn Euer | Dem | Newport, Jamestown | 2017*
14 | Valarie Lawson | Dem | East Providence | 2018
15 | Meghan Kallman | Dem | Pawtucket | 2020
16 | Jonathon Acosta | Dem | Central Falls, Pawtucket | 2020
17 | Thomas Paolino | Rep | Lincoln | 2016
18 | Robert Britto | Dem | East Providence, Pawtucket | 2022
19 | Ryan W. Pearson | Dem | Cumberland | 2012
20 | Brian Thompson | Dem | Woonsocket, Cumberland | 2024
21 | Gordon Rogers | Rep | Coventry, Foster, Scituate, West Greenwich | 2018
22 | David Tikoian | Dem | Smithfield, Lincoln, North Providence | 2022
23 | Jessica de la Cruz | Rep | Burrillville, Glocester | 2018
24 | Melissa Murray | Dem | North Smithfield, Woonsocket | 2018
25 | Andrew Dimitri | Dem | Johnston | 2024
26 | Todd Patalano | Dem | Cranston | 2024
27 | Hanna Gallo | Dem | Cranston | 1998
28 | Lammis Vargas | Dem | Cranston | 2024
29 | Pete Appollonio | Dem | Warwick | 2024
30 | Mark McKenney | Dem | Warwick | 2018
31 | Matthew LaMountain | Dem | Warwick | 2022
32 | Pamela J. Lauria | Dem | Barrington, Bristol, East Providence | 2022
33 | Leonidas Raptakis | Dem | Coventry, East Greenwich, West Greenwich | 2012
(1996-2010)
34 | Elaine J. Morgan | Rep | Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond, West Greenwich | 2014
35 | Bridget Valverde | Dem | East Greenwich, North Kingstown, Narragansett, South Kingstown | 2018
36 | Alana DiMario | Dem | Narragansett | 2020
37 | V. Susan Sosnowski | Dem | New Shoreham, South Kingstown | 1996
38 | Victoria Gu | Dem | Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown | 2022

*Senator was elected in a special election

## Past composition of the Senate

[edit]

Main article: Political party strength in Rhode Island

## See also

[edit]

* Rhode Island State Capitol
* Rhode Island General Assembly
* Rhode Island House of Representatives
* List of Rhode Island General Assemblies

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Incumbent Democrat Sandra Cano resigned September 12, 2024, and Urso was selected to replace her on the ballot.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Lavin, Nancy (January 7, 2025). "Lawson has her lesson plan ready for the R.I. Senate". Rhode Island Current. Retrieved February 23, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Downloadable Rhode Island District Maps

* v
* t
* e

Members of the Rhode Island Senate

President of Senate
Dominick Ruggerio (D)
President pro tempore
Hanna Gallo (D)
Majority Leader
Ryan Pearson (D)
Minority Leader
Jessica de la Cruz (R)

1. ▌Jake Bissaillon (D)
2. ▌Ana Quezada (D)
3. ▌Sam Zurier (D)
4. ▌Dominick Ruggerio (D)
5. ▌Sam Bell (D)
6. ▌Tiara Mack (D)
7. ▌Frank Ciccone (D)
8. ▌Lori Urso (D)
9. ▌John Burke (D)
10. ▌Walter Felag (D)
11. ▌Linda Ujifusa (D)
12. ▌Louis DiPalma (D)
13. ▌Dawn Euer (D)
14. ▌Valarie Lawson (D)
15. ▌Meghan Kallman (D)
16. ▌Jonathon Acosta (D)
17. ▌Thomas Paolino (R)
18. ▌Robert Britto (D)
19. ▌Ryan Pearson (D)
20. ▌Brian Thompson (D)
21. ▌Gordon Rogers (R)
22. ▌David Tikoian (D)
23. ▌Jessica de la Cruz (R)
24. ▌Melissa Murray (D)
25. ▌Andrew Dimitri (D)
26. ▌Todd Patalano (D)
27. ▌Hanna Gallo (D)
28. ▌Lammis Vargas (D)
29. ▌Pete Appollonio (D)
30. ▌Mark McKenney (D)
31. ▌Matthew LaMountain (D)
32. ▌Pamela Lauria (D)
33. ▌Lou Raptakis (D)
34. ▌Elaine Morgan (R)
35. ▌Bridget Valverde (D)
36. ▌Alana DiMario (D)
37. ▌Sue Sosnowski (D)
38. ▌Victoria Gu (D)

* ▌Democratic (33)
* ▌Republican (5)

* Rhode Island General Assembly
* Rhode Island House of Representatives
* Rhode Island Senate

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State of Rhode Island

Providence (capital)

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41°49′52″N 71°25′02″W﻿ / ﻿41.8310574°N 71.4171443°W﻿ / 41.8310574; -71.4171443
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