On Nov. 7, the Rhode Island Senate Democratic Caucus convened to determine its leadership for the upcoming session. They elected Sen. Valarie Lawson (D-East Providence) as majority leader and endorsed Sen. Dominick Ruggerio (D-North Providence, Providence) for another term as president of the Senate.
Lawson easily won election for majority leader with a nearly unanimous vote. The contest for Senate president was much more contentious, but Ruggerio defended his role against challenger and current Majority Leader Ryan Pearson (D-Cumberland and Lincoln), winning with a 23-9 vote. Escalating tensions between Ruggerio and Pearson culminated in an eventful lead-up to the Democratic Caucus.
Ruggerio has held the role of Senate president since 2017 and served as majority leader prior to that. He has spent much of his term as president fighting significant health issues — including cancer — which caused him to be absent for parts of the General Assembly session.
While Ruggerio admitted “it is not a secret that I’ve had a challenging spring and summer,” his condition continues to improve. “Each day I get a little stronger on my journey to a full recovery,” he said.
But, tensions increased between him and Pearson earlier this year when Pearson began expressing concerns about how Ruggerio’s health would impact his ability to continue in the Senate president role. As majority leader, Pearson expressed interest in succeeding Ruggerio for the position.
Lawson, the current majority whip, ran for the majority leader position for the upcoming session. On Oct. 15, Ruggerio endorsed Lawson for the majority leader position, praising her leadership and character during her tenure as majority whip, the Providence Journal reported.
After losing Ruggerio’s support for the position, Pearson urged other senators to support him in continuing to serve as majority leader in the upcoming legislative session, the Public’s Radio reported.
On Nov. 6 — just one day before the Democratic Caucus was set to meet — Pearson announced he would be competing for Senate president rather than majority leader.
In a letter sent to his fellow Senators, Pearson called on the support of his colleagues in his bid for Senate president. He emphasized Ruggerio’s health struggles, saying that “he has been unable to be present at the State House” and, as a result, “the Senate’s effectiveness has suffered.” Pearson proposed a slate of solutions to improve Senate operations if chosen as president.
Despite Pearson’s last-minute contest for Senate president, Ruggerio won by a margin of 14 votes. He will be formally elected by the entire Senate, including Republicans, at the start of the new legislative session in January.
Ruggerio expressed his gratitude for the support of his fellow Senators and detailed his policy plans for the upcoming session, which include improving healthcare accessibility and lowering costs, expanding environmental protection initiatives and investing in economic opportunities for Rhode Islanders.
Ruggerio noted that “we are expecting a tighter budget cycle than we have experienced in several years,” but said he remains confident that the Senate can continue serving its constituents effectively despite this.
With Pearson out of the running, Lawson easily won her election as majority leader. She described some of her policy priorities, which include improving education, paid family leave and affordable housing.
Before the votes took place, Lawson and Ruggerio received endorsements from their fellow Senators. Senator Walter Felag Jr. (D-Bristol, Tiverton, Warren) expressed his support for Lawson to be majority leader, saying that “Val is a leader for all Rhode Islanders (who) has been a driving force behind our action on many critical policy areas.”
Senator Melissa Murray (D-Woonsocket, North Smithfield) vouched for Ruggerio to continue as Senate president. She emphasized that his strong leadership and policy achievements as Senate president demonstrate why Ruggerio should continue in the role, asserting that his “courage, experience and commitment is exactly what we need.”
After his loss, Pearson expressed hope that the Senate would be able to move forward and be more effective in the upcoming session, but noted that “if that does not come, I do know that Senators will be looking to make a change in the future,” the Public’s Radio reported.
Pearson did not respond to The Herald’s additional request for comment.
Ruggerio has an optimistic outlook for the new legislative session. “I look forward to working alongside you … as a strong and unified Senate.”
Pavani Durbhakula is a contributing writer and photographer. She is a first-year from DC and plans to study IAPA and Public Health. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, and searching for new coffee shops.
