Taking office in 2013, Senator Pearson has consistently delivered results for his district and the state. Respected by his colleagues, he currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance. He also serves as a member of the Senate Education Committee. He previously served as the Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Chairman of the Senate Finance Sub-Committee on Education, Commerce and Municipal Aid.  

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Prior to serving in the Senate, the Senator served locally on the Cumberland School Committee forming a solid understanding of local government budgeting and challenges. This experience has allowed him to not only be an advocate for local interests but someone who many turn to when navigating the sometimes complex waters.

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Driven to public service as only a high school student, Senator Pearson's first involvement was as part of a student organization called Save Our Schools seeking to rally support behind a bond referendum to improve Cumberland High School which was on the verge of losing accreditation due to severe facility deficiencies. Following the passage of the bond he sought his first office on the Cumberland School Committee in 2008 and has kept school facilities a key priority of his work each year to make sure that every student in Rhode Island has a school to attend they can be proud of. This work culminated in to leading a Senate task force on school construction that served as the foundation of a partnership with Gov. Gina Raimondo and Treasurer Seth Magaziner to pass a comprehensive $1 billion statewide plan to fix and build schools all across Rhode Island. 

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Improving Rhode Island's economy has been the paramount focus for Senator Pearson since joining the Senate. He has been a leader on efforts to reform our tax structures, streamline regulations, invest in job training and overhaul our economic development approach. These efforts allowed Rhode Island to break job records and see rising wages across all workers. He also authored a nationally recognized tax credit that is helping college graduates repay their student loans when they commit to stay in Rhode Island keeping skilled workers here.

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Recognizing the importance of infrastructure, Senator Pearson has also worked to secure passage of RhodeWorks, invest in Quonset and support the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank in its efforts to ensure clean water, renewable energy and local road improvement. 

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With the importance of a talented workforce to our overall economy, the Senator has also focused efforts on education partnering with Education Chairwoman Hanna Gallo to spearhead a series of education reforms in 2019 related to curriculum and school/district accountability. He also chaired a 2020 Senate task force examining the successes and opportunities to the now decade old education funding formula. This remains a priority for the current legislative session to enact the task force recommendations in to law ensuring equitable funding for all students across Rhode Island.

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Senator Pearson earned his B.S. in Finance from Providence College. He also attended American University in Washington, D.C. working as a staff member in the United States Senate from 2006-2008. Today in the private sector, he is employed as a Senior Vice President of a local financial institution. He has also remained an active supporter of many community organizations. 

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