Did You Know?

Tina helped mobilize support for Rhode Island’s landmark paid family leave legislation in 2013. Today every Rhode Islander who contributes to unemployment has access to up to 4 weeks of paid time off to care for a newborn infant or a sick spouse, parent or child.

Tina is proud to have the support of Clean Water Action RI and Climate Action RI. She knows we must act to address climate change to protect our coastal communities and our economy. She will preserve shoreline access and open spaces and support energy alternatives.

Tina’s kids attend local public schools, just as she and her husband did, and their parents before them. Tina knows teachers work hard, and she'll fight for our fair share of state resources to support our kids and our classrooms.

Tina has a BA in Ornamental Horticulture and Turfgrass Management and a Master’s In Public Administration from the University of Rhode Island. Tina worked a lot of jobs to pay her way at places including Smith’s Florist and the Point Judith Country Club.

In 2014 Tina was one of 3 people representing RI at the White House Summit on Working Families. The summit brought attention to the state of working families, especially workers who are also caretakers, including paid parental leave, flexible scheduling, and workplace protection for pregnant women.

Tina was active in Future Farmers of America (FFA) at CHARIHO ag. In 1996 Tina was one of 38 youth leaders nominated for candidacy as a national officer of FFA.

When Tina's son was born with disabilities, a network of organizations and families offered help. When he started school, Tina got a job helping parents navigate medical care and stand up to insurance companies. Soon, she was at the State House, telling lawmakers they needed to step up for our kids.

Tina’s full name is Tina Louise Spears. She was named after the actress Tina Louise, who played Ginger on Gilligan’s Island.

As the leader of a statewide network for people with disabilities, Tina has won real policy change. Tina helped win wage increases for front line workers, moving from $13 an hour in 2019 to an average of $18 today. Tina will support working people and an economy that includes everyone.

Tina moved to Charlestown as a teenager nearly 30 years ago when the bank foreclosed on her parent’s home in Warwick. She knows our state needs to take action to make housing affordable for families.

During the pandemic Tina helped organize volunteers, non-profits and state agencies to manage the state’s largest vaccination clinic for people with disabilities and their support workers. They vaccinated over 6,000 people!

Tina and Frost graduated from high school here in Charlestown and knew they wanted to raise their family here.

The RI chapters of the National Association of Social Workers, the National Education Association and Service Employees International Union know Tina has worked hard all of her life, and that she’ll stand up for working families.

Visit TinaSpearsRI.com to read more about where Tina stands on the issues that are critical to our future.

In 1995 Tina became Washington County Fair Queen and it came with scholarship money that helped her pay tuition at URI.