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

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

Republican Leadership

Committee leadership

CommitteeChairVice ChairSecretary
CommerceV. Susan Sosnowski (D)Roger Picard (D)Tiara Mack (D)
EducationSandra Cano (D)Hanna Gallo (D)Ana Quezada (D)
Environment and AgricultureAlana DiMario (D)Matthew LaMountain (D)David Tikoian (D)
FinanceLouis DiPalma (D)Melissa Murray (D)Walter Felag (D)
Health and Human ServicesJoshua Miller (D)Bridget Valverde (D)Valarie Lawson (D)
Housing and Municipal GovernmentFrank Lombardo (D)Meghan Kallman (D)Gordon Rogers (R)
JudiciaryDawn Euer (D)Frank Lombardi (D)Leonidas Raptakis (D)
LaborFrank Ciccone (D)Frank Lombardi (D)John Burke (D)
Rules, Government Ethics and OversightMark McKenney (D)Valarie Lawson (D)Samuel Zurier (D)
Special Legislation and Veterans' AffairsWalter Felag (D)Leonidas Raptakis (D)Valarie Lawson (D)

Make-up of the Senate

2019-2021 Legislative Session
AffiliationParty
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
DemocraticRepublicanIndVacant
2011-20122981380
2013-20143251380
Begin 20153251380
2015-2016330
Begin 20173350380
2017-2019321
Begin 20193350380
Begin 20233350380
Latest voting share86.8%13.2%

Members of the Rhode Island Senate

DistrictSenatorPartyRepresenting
1Jake BissaillonDemProvidence
2Ana QuezadaDemProvidence
3Sam ZurierDemProvidence
4Dominick J. RuggerioDemProvidence
5Sam BellDemProvidence
6Tiara MackDemProvidence
7Frank CicconeDemProvidence, North Providence
8Sandra CanoDemPawtucket
9John BurkeDemWest Warwick
10Walter FelagDemTiverton, Warren
11Linda UjifusaDemBristol, Portsmouth
12Louis DiPalmaDemLittle Compton, Middletown
13Dawn EuerDemNewport, Jamestown
14Valarie LawsonDemEast Providence
15Meghan KallmanDemPawtucket
16Jonathon AcostaDemCentral Falls, Pawtucket
17Thomas PaolinoRepLincoln
18Robert BrittoDemEast Providence, Pawtucket
19Ryan W. PearsonDemCumberland
20Roger PicardDemWoonsocket, Cumberland
21Gordon RogersRepCoventry, Foster, Scituate, West Greenwich
22David TikoianDemSmithfield, Lincoln, North Providence
23Jessica de la CruzRepBurrillville, Glocester
24Melissa MurrayDemNorth Smithfield, Woonsocket
25Vacant[1]Johnston
26Frank LombardiDemCranston
27Hanna GalloDemCranston
28Joshua MillerDemCranston
29Anthony DeLuca IIRepWarwick
30Mark McKenneyDemWarwick
31Matthew LaMountainDemWarwick
32Pamela J. LauriaDemBarrington, Bristol, East Providence
33Leonidas RaptakisDemCoventry, East Greenwich, West Greenwich
34Elaine J. MorganRepExeter, Hopkinton, Richmond, West Greenwich
35Bridget ValverdeDemEast Greenwich, North Kingstown, Narragansett, South Kingstown
36Alana DiMarioDemNarragansett
37V. Susan SosnowskiDemNew Shoreham, South Kingstown
38Victoria GuDemWesterly, Charlestown, South Kingstown

Past composition of the Senate

See also

References

  1. ^ Democrat Frank Lombardo died on February 21, 2024.

External links

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