John Burke is a Democrat representing District 9 (West Warwick) in the Rhode Island Senate. He was elected in November 2020.
During his time in the Senate, he has advocated on issues related to children, seniors, small businesses and taxpayers.
He was the Senate sponsor of a bill signed into law by Gov. Dan McKee that outlaws child marriages in Rhode Island, eliminating the allowance for children under 18 to receive a marriage license with parental consent.
He was one of several Kent County lawmakers to request a review of the Kent County Water Authority after ratepayers raised concerns over significant bill increases. He also cosponsored legislation strengthening reporting requirements for the suspected financial exploitation of senior citizens.
Born on July 31, 1960, Sen. Burke is a lifelong resident of West Warwick. He has one daughter, Billie Burke, and a dog, Marley.
A graduate of Bishop Hendricken High School, he went on to study Computer Science at the Community College of Rhode Island. He then began working in the information technology field, first at Puritan Life Insurance as a computer operator.
He retired from the University of Rhode Island in 2019, having been employed in various information technology positions at the university for 37 years.
Sen. Burke is a former member of Council 94 PTAA, a former WWBL coach, a former West Warwick Girls softball coach, a former treasurer of the West Warwick Sunday Morning Slow Pitch League, and has served as Grand Knight of Gibson Council 181 of West Warwick. He is currently a member of West Warwick’s Frontenac Club.
