With the Rhode Island General Assembly session scheduled to begin today (Jan. 6), WhatsUpNewp and WBLQ have reached out to the area’s legislators to learn what they see as the most pressing issues facing Rhode Island in 2026, and legislation they are planning to introduce.
Today, we focus on State Senator Victoria Gu, D-Dist. 38, She chairs the Senate Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies, and is a member of the Senate Commerce, Environment and Agriculture, and Housing and Municipal Government Committees.
Brief biography: Senator Gu was among the youngest individuals elected to the state Senate when first elected in November 2022.
A Harvard graduate, she has been active in community service and advocacy and served as chair of Charlestown’s Climate Resiliency Commission.
Senator Gu has been a strong advocate for shoreline access and In her first term helped pass a bill to clarify Rhode Islanders’ right to access the shoreline; sponsored the Act on Coasts to prepare for sea level rise and climate change; and advocated for reforming the Coastal Resources Management Council.
She also has successfully advocated for healthcare funding to double Medicaid reimbursement for ambulance services to keep local providers financially solvent, mental health funding to allow Medicaid reimbursement for school social workers and school psychologists, and housing affordability by improving short-term rental regulation and enabling more homeowners to build accessory dwelling units.
The daughter of immigrants from China, Senator Gu grew up in South Kingstown, graduating from South Kingstown High School and Harvard University. She works as a software engineer and data analyst, and lives in Westerly.
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State Senator Victoria Gu, D – District 38, Westerly, Charlestown and South Kingstown. She chairs the Senate Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Emergencies Technologies. She is also a member of the Senate Commerce, Environment and Agriculture, and Housing and Municipal Government Committees.
WUN/WBLQ: How can constituents reach you?
- Telephone: 401.388.0696
- Email: sen-gu@rilegislature.gov
- Website: www.victoria4ri.com (sign up for monthly newsletter)
WUN/WBLQ: What do you perceive as the most critical issues facing Rhode Island in 2026:
Primary care access and the cascading effects of ACA subsidies expiring: You’ll see many more people going uninsured meaning they won’t get preventive care, and they won’t get enough care to manage chronic or mild conditions. Then their condition gets much worse and they end up in the emergency room for which they can’t pay, and then the hospital will have to eat the cost; this is called “uncompensated care.” This is very bad for our hospital systems, which are already struggling financially. Also, with ACA premiums skyrocketing, healthy people will exit and sick people will stay in the insurance market, driving up costs for those who remain.
WUN/WBLQ: What are your top priorities for the upcoming legislative session?
- Utility reform, specifically on utility profit margins
- Climate resiliency: FEMA disaster relief looks very uncertain
- Guardrails on AI in healthcare and other sensitive use cases
(WUN/WBLQ note: Finances are often a key ingredient in any election, providing candidates with the wherewithal to purchase advertising, develop campaign materials, hire staff, and cover other expenses. Campaign finances are required to be reported to the state Board of Elections quarterly. Those funds can only be used for a candidate’s campaign, donated to another candidate for election purposes, or donated to charity. Campaign funds are not permitted to be used for personal expenses. Campaign finance reports are due approximately 30 days after the close of the previous quarter, which means the next filing period is the end of January for the quarter ending December 31. As of the third quarter, ending in September, Gu reported a fund balance of $$16,799.