Richard Warden Sears Jr. (April 22, 1943 – June 1, 2024) was an American politician who was a Democratic member of the Vermont State Senate, representing the Bennington senate district.

Sears was first elected to the Vermont State Senate in 1992 and continued to serve until his death in June 2024.

[1] Sears worked in residential programs for troubled youth from the 1970s.

[2][3] Sears served on the Bennington school board from 1987 to 1993 and was chairman for four of those years.

In 1992, he was elected to the Vermont State Senate, and was reelected in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020.