PROVIDENCE – The Senate chamber will be dedicated Thursday in honor of former President Dominick J. Ruggerio, D-North Providence, who died in April 2025 at the age of 76.
Ruggerio’s family will join the Senate for the formal dedication and the unveiling of a plaque designating the room as “The President Dominick J. Ruggerio Senate Chamber.” The event will follow the consideration of a resolution honoring Ruggerio and a resolution commemorating St. Joseph’s Day.
The bill was introduced by Senate President Valarie Lawson and signed into law by Gov. Daniel J. McKee in July 2025.
In a statement Wednesday Lawson said Ruggerio “left an indelible mark at the Statehouse” and that his legacy “will be felt for generations to come.”
”Honoring his incredible record of service to his constituents, the Senate, and the state of Rhode Island through the naming of the President Dominick J. Ruggerio Senate Chamber is an appropriate tribute to our dear friend,” she said.
The Rev. Bruce A. Lewandowski, Bishop of Providence, will offer the invocation at the session's start at 4 p.m. and provide a special blessing after the unveiling.
The longest-serving member of the General Assembly at the time of his death, Ruggerio was a graduate of La Salle Academy and Providence College and was a former administrator for the Laborers’ International Union of North America.
He was elected President of the Senate in 2017, representing District 4, which includes parts of North Providence and Providence, after previously serving as Majority Leader.
Before his Senate service, he served in the House of Representatives from 1981 to 1984.
Holding conservative views on issues like abortion and gun control, Ruggerio focused much of his work on health care reform, the environment and improving the state’s business climate. He was also instrumental in legalizing sports betting in Rhode Island.
In a statement Ruggerio’s son, Charles Ruggerio, said “My father truly loved serving his constituents, and all Rhode Islanders.”
”He cared deeply about the Senate as an institution, and he believed strongly that those privileged to sit in the Senate Chamber have a responsibility to help improve our state and make people’s lives better,” he added. “On those counts, he accomplished a great deal over the course of his career.”
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.
