Upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly
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
Make-up of the Senate
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
Members of the Rhode Island Senate
District
Senator
Party
Representing
1
Jake Bissaillon Dem
Providence
2
Ana Quezada Dem
Providence
3
Sam Zurier Dem
Providence
4
Dominick J. Ruggerio Dem
Providence
5
Sam Bell Dem
Providence
6
Tiara Mack Dem
Providence
7
Frank Ciccone Dem
Providence , North Providence
8
Sandra Cano Dem
Pawtucket
9
John Burke Dem
West Warwick
10
Walter Felag Dem
Tiverton , Warren
11
Linda Ujifusa Dem
Bristol , Portsmouth
12
Louis DiPalma Dem
Little Compton , Middletown
13
Dawn Euer Dem
Newport , Jamestown
14
Valarie Lawson Dem
East Providence
15
Meghan Kallman Dem
Pawtucket
16
Jonathon Acosta Dem
Central Falls , Pawtucket
17
Thomas Paolino Rep
Lincoln
18
Robert Britto Dem
East Providence , Pawtucket
19
Ryan W. Pearson Dem
Cumberland
20
Roger Picard Dem
Woonsocket , Cumberland
21
Gordon Rogers Rep
Coventry , Foster , Scituate , West Greenwich
22
David Tikoian
Dem
Smithfield , Lincoln , North Providence
23
Jessica de la Cruz Rep
Burrillville , Glocester
24
Melissa Murray Dem
North Smithfield , Woonsocket
25
Vacant [1] Johnston
26
Frank Lombardi Dem
Cranston
27
Hanna Gallo Dem
Cranston
28
Joshua Miller Dem
Cranston
29
Anthony DeLuca II
Rep
Warwick
30
Mark McKenney Dem
Warwick
31
Matthew LaMountain Dem
Warwick
32
Pamela J. Lauria Dem
Barrington , Bristol , East Providence
33
Leonidas Raptakis Dem
Coventry , East Greenwich , West Greenwich
34
Elaine J. Morgan Rep
Exeter , Hopkinton , Richmond , West Greenwich
35
Bridget Valverde Dem
East Greenwich , North Kingstown , Narragansett , South Kingstown
36
Alana DiMario Dem
Narragansett
37
V. Susan Sosnowski Dem
New Shoreham , South Kingstown
38
Victoria Gu Dem
Westerly , Charlestown , South Kingstown
