Sen. Gu was elected to the Senate in November 2022. She has a lengthy history of community service and advocacy and previously served as chair of Charlestown's Climate Resiliency Commission.

In her first term in the Senate, she helped pass a bill to clarify Rhode Islanders' right to access the shoreline; sponsored the Act on Coasts to prepare for sea level rise and climate change; and advocated for reforming the Coastal Resources Management Council.

Senator Gu also successfully advocated for healthcare funding to double Medicaid reimbursement for ambulance services in order to keep local providers financially solvent, mental health funding to allow Medicaid reimbursement for school social workers and school psychologists and housing affordability by improving short-term rental regulation and enabling more homeowners to build accessory dwelling units, also called "in-law units." The daughter of immigrants from China, Sen. Gu grew up in South Kingstown. She is a graduate of South Kingstown High School and Harvard University. She works as a software engineer and data analyst, and now resides in Westerly.