Dawn comes from a working class family and has been an activist and organizer all her life. She is dedicated to fighting for social, economic, and racial justice.
During her time in office, she was the lead sponsor of Act on Climate - the most consequential climate legislation passed to date in Rhode Island. She also sponsored the Student Loan Bill of Rights to protect student loan borrowers from deceptive lending practices and legislation to require insurance companies to cover a full year birth control prescription. She played a key role in the passage of the Reproductive Privacy Act enshrining access to safe, legal abortion in Rhode Island state law.
Prior to being elected, she was a leader in the fight for marriage equality, helping make Rhode Island the 10th state in the country to recognize the rights of all loving couples to marry regardless of gender. She ran for office in a special election in 2017 in a competitive election securing over 61% of the vote in a four way primary. She now serves as the Chair of the Environment & Agriculture Committee, and as a member of the Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Rules, Government Ethics & Oversight.