He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Coogee between 2003 and 2011 for the Labor Party.

[1] In 2018, he commenced research into the electoral failures of social democratic parties in Australia, UK and France in the University of Newcastle's PhD programme.

[3] In 1998 he took the historically safe Liberal seat of Wentworth to preferences for the first time in over 50 years.

While Mayor of Waverley Council, Pearce was noted for his pony tail, but this was ruled out by Labor party organisers at the 2003 election.

At the 2011 state election, Pearce lost the seat of Coogee to Liberal Party candidate and former City of Randwick Mayor Bruce Notley-Smith.