Lifelong East Providence resident and rising star of the Rhode Island Senate, Valarie Lawson, completed her ascendance to one of the top political jobs in the state on Tuesday, when she was elected by a majority of her peers to succeed the late Dominick Ruggerio to become the new President of the Rhode Island Senate.

The vote occurred following a caucus of the Senate late on Tuesday afternoon, and a press release sent out by the Senate communications office confirmed that Lawson (D-Dist. 14, East Providence) had been named the new president after news circulated last week that she and Sen. Frank A. Ciccone III (D-Dist. 7, Providence, Johnston) had become the favorites to be voted in as the new president and majority leader, respectively — which is indeed what happened.

Sen. Ryan Pearson (D-Dist. 19, Cumberland, Lincoln) earned eight votes for president, and Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz (R-Dist. 23, North Smithfield​, Burrillville, Glocester), earned votes from all four of her Republican colleagues. Lawson won handily with 24 votes, according to the Providence Journal.

“The trust my colleagues have placed in me means more than I can express,” Sen. Lawson said in the press release following the vote. “Serving as President of the Rhode Island Senate is an awesome responsibility, one that I will work tirelessly to uphold. I congratulate Majority Leader Ciccone and look forward to working alongside him. As the Senate enters the final, busy weeks of the legislative session, we are still in mourning. As we acknowledge the tremendous loss our chamber has experienced in recent years, we will honor the memory, friendship, and incredible service of our cherished colleagues by working together for our constituents, our communities, and our state.”

Attention on assault weapons bill
One of the top legislative issues Lawson — who was just named Majority Leader of the Senate in early November of 2024 — will immediately preside over is the proposed assault weapons ban that has gained unprecedented momentum compared to past years when similar legislation had been introduced but ultimately was lost in committee review purgatory.

Lawson serves as a primary sponsor on the current iteration of the bill (S-359).

Shortly after the election was held, a joint press release was sent out by the Rhode Island chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both gun control advocacy groups. The release heralded the decision to vote Lawson as President, and indicated confidence that she would get it across the finish line.

“The election of Senator Lawson to be our new Rhode Island Senate President is great news for the safety of Rhode Islanders and we now call on the Senate President to secure her legacy as a champion for public safety by prioritizing gun violence prevention in this new role,” said Tony Morettini, a Bristol resident and volunteer with the Rhode Island chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Our communities can’t wait another year for a lifesaving measure to be enacted and get assault weapons out of civilian hands. We need to prevent tragedy before it happens, not wait and respond after lives are taken.”

“As someone growing up having to fear a school shooting everyday, I know that weapons of war – which are the weapon of choice for mass shooters – have no place in our communities,” said Elijah Pelton, a volunteer leader with the Johnson & Wales University Students Demand Action chapter. “My peers and I are counting on Senate President Valarie Lawson and our entire Rhode Island legislature to take action so that we don’t have to fear these deadly weapons.”

Possible conflict of interest?
To be seen is whether or not Lawson will continue to work as the president of the National Education Association Rhode Island (NEARI), a teachers’ union that includes around 12,000 members.

Discussion has already begun from government watchdog groups, such as Common Cause, concerned that her role as leader of that union (a position she also won through an election by her peers, in 2023), and her new role helping decide which legislation gets to the floor for a vote in the Senate, could lead to potential conflicts of interest.

Lawson did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Tuesday.

An email sent to the communications director at NEARI did not immediately generate a response.