Ryan Pearson

Ryan W. Pearson is a Democrat representing District 19 (Cumberland, Lincoln) in the Rhode Island Senate. Sen. Pearson was first elected to the Senate in November 2012. He has previously served as Majority Leader, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, and a member of the Senate Committee on Education. He has also previously served as Senior Deputy Majority Leader and as Chairman of the Senate Finance Sub-Committee on Education, Commerce and Municipal Aid. Sen. Pearson is a lifelong resident of Cumberland. As a high school student, he joined a student organization named Save Our Schools to rally support for a bond referendum to make needed improvements to Cumberland High School, which stood on the verge of losing accreditation due to severe facility deficiencies. Following the passage of the bond, he sought and won election to the Cumberland School Committee, where he formed a solid understanding of local government budgeting and challenges. Sen. Pearson has continued to make improving school facilities a top priority throughout his public service. He led the Senate's task force on school construction, which laid the groundwork for the comprehensive $1 billion statewide plan…