Mark Mesrobian
Democrat for Rhode Island
Senate District 36
Working for the residents of Narragansett, North Kingstown, New Shoreham and the entire Ocean State
kickoff Announcement Countdown
Kickoff Details…
I’ll be hosting a Kickoff & Fundraiser at 6 p.m. on November 4th at the Mettatuxett Yacht Club. Hope to see you there!
My Story: From Circuits to the Shore WIth some sandwiches and sunglasses in between…
I’ve called South County home since 1985, when I enrolled at the University of Rhode Island, fell in love with southern Rhode Island, and never left.
I’ve been building a life here ever since.
From running a small business during a recession in the 90’s to leading one of the state’s largest beach clubs, I’ve spent my career bringing people together, solving problems, and helping Rhode Island thrive.
My story began here in Rhode Island, and my commitment is to ensure that opportunity stays here, too.
I believe in hard work, accountability, and keeping our community strong for generations to come.
Issues impacting District 36 -
Narragansett, North Kingstown & New Shoreham
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Housing
Across Rhode Island, housing costs have been rising sharply, and a 2025 URI poll finds that 93% of residents believe housing cost is a problem.
A telltale sign of the lack of affordable housing is the decline in school enrollment.
In many of the coastal or resort towns (like Narragansett), there is extra pressure from out-of-state buyers, seasonal demand, and vacation home investment, which tends to push up market prices beyond what many working families can afford.
How do we turn the tide on housing?
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Environment
In District 36, we don’t just live near the water, our beaches, bays, dunes, and ocean define who we are.
Here, people recycle. Walk the shore. Drive electric and care about where their energy comes from.
That’s because we know the stakes: climate change, storms, pollution, and coastal erosion threaten our homes and way of life.
Clean air and water, access to the shoreline and local jobs in clean energy are the returns we get when we prioritize the environment together.
How do we turn the tide on the environment?
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Infrastructure
In South County, we all look forward to the good weather, but too often, we’re also planning around water bans, overloaded treatment plants, and aging infrastructure that can’t keep up with the seasonal increase in population.
Every summer, we face water restrictions just to make sure our taps and fire hydrants don’t run dry.
Our wastewater plant near Scarborough Beach is stretched beyond its limits, and our aging pipes are leaving us exposed.
With smart investment, modern technology, and a little common sense, we can build systems that work for the people who live here year-round — and for the visitors who keep our local economy thriving.
How do we turn the tide on infrastructure?
Issues impacting Rhode Island
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Economy
Rhode Island’s high cost of housing, high taxes, and limited economic opportunity reduce incentives to stay or invest.
Homeownership is under strain in Rhode Island, especially for middle and lower income households.
The state also struggles to retain a large share of its college-educated graduates.
Fewer retained graduates mean fewer startups, fewer new businesses and less innovation.
Similarly, residents who lack the means to move are forced to stay, and Rhode Island loses people with means to lower tax states like Florida.
How do we turn the tide on the economy? -
Education
To our credit, Rhode Island invests heavily in education. Unfortunately, outcomes are middle-of-the-pack among New England.
The state education funding formula adopted in 2010 was meant to balance local wealth and need, but enrollment has fallen in some districts while the number of multilingual learners and special education students has risen sharply.
Without more efficient use of funds, RI will struggle to maintain or improve outcomes without excessive tax/income pressure or squeezing other state priorities.
How do we turn the tide on education?
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Healthcare
Despite our top-5 national ranking, Rhode Island still struggles with primary care shortages and long wait times.
Physicians trained in RI often move to Massachusetts and Connecticut due to substantially higher Medicaid and commercial reimbursement rates.
Rhode Island’s lower reimbursement creates a talent attraction gap and erodes provider participation.
It also limits preventive outreach, and shifts care to higher-cost settings, undermining the very efficiencies the state’s healthcare system aims to achieve.
How do we turn the tide on healthcare?
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Energy
Rhode Island’s reliance on gas is unusually high, and its renewables share is lower than the leading U.S. states.
New England’s limited pipeline capacity also causes spot-market gas to surge during cold snaps, inflating power prices.
Over the last decade, Rhode Island has been among the fastest-growing states (on a percentage basis) in wind energy generation.
The high electricity prices suggest that the economics of green infrastructure (storage, grid upgrades, distributed generation) still present challenges in achieving broad consumer benefit.
How do we turn the tide on energy?
FROM THE 36…
Endorsements
“the dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.”
— VINCE LOMBARDI, Football Coach
When the Patriots went into Buffalo, no one gave them a chance. But grit beat glamour and the underdog turned the tide.
Not dissimilar to what we’re doing here in District 36 — proving that hard work, heart, and teamwork can still beat the establishment.