NK School Committee Chair Announces Dist. 35 Senate Campaign

Kimberly Ann Page, a Republican who leads the North Kingstown School Committee, on Monday formally announced her candidacy for the District 35 state Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Dawson Hodgson, who is running for Attorney General.

Page announced her candidacy Monday, saying she was recruited to run and after eight years serving on the School Committee, she's ready to serve the wider community. 

"After discussions with my family and friends, I decided that as a state senator I would have the opportunity to work on education issues at the state level rather than just North Kingstown," Page said.

District 35 encompasses parts of Narragansett, North Kingstown, East Greenwich and South Kingstown.

A lawyer who specializes in contracts and wills, Page has also taught at the Community College of Rhode Island and is in the process of getting a doctorate in educational leadership for higher education at Johnson & Wales.

Her campaign will be education-focused, she said, as it's "the key to producing a more effective and diversified workforce."

"If we are going to create a more productive, a more innovative Rhode Island, we need to provide the raw materials for that transformation – a dynamic, creative, educated, trained workforce ready to tackle the challenges and seize the opportunities of the 21st century economy," she said in a release.

Page brings the experience of a military family to the table. As they moved, she said she always asked the same question: where are the good schools?

And employers are the same, asking when they're looking to relocate: where are the skilled workers?

"I am committed to improving our educational system, from pre-kindergarten through college and vocational training," she said.

As a member of the School Committee, Page has served as the chairperson for the past three years, chaired the policy subcommittee and wellness subcommittee and served on the budget subcommittee. She has also served on every contract negotiating team since her first election to the board.

Page has lived in North Kingstown with her husband, Peter Pellegrino since 2004. Before that, she worked as a city prosecutor in Oak Harbor, Wash.

Here in North Kingstown, Page has volunteered with the PTO, NK Soccer Association, the NK United Methodist Church Administrative Council and currently serves as her church's Youth Leader. She is also the NK Food Pantry's board secretary and webmaster.

In addition, Page participates in the Rhode Island Volunteer Lawyer Program and volunteers at Women and Infants providing legal services to hospice patients.

She is the mother of two sons, Tyler and Graham. 

Page will challenge East Greenwich Town Councilor Mark Watkins Gee, who announced his candidacy in March, in the September Republican primary. 

So far, one Democrat has announced his candidacy — Narragansett Town Councilman James Callaghan.