Dick Saslaw
| Dick Saslaw | ||
 | ||
| Virginia Senate District 35 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 1980 - Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 11, 2016 | ||
| Years in position | 33 | |
| Party | Democratic | |
| Leadership | ||
| Senate Minority Leader | ||
| 2012-Present | ||
| Senate Majority Leader | ||
| 2008-2012 | ||
| House Minority Leader | ||
| 1998-2008 | ||
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $18,000/year | |
| Per diem | $178/day | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 8, 2011 | |
| First elected | 1979 | |
| Next election | November 3, 2015 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Military service | ||
| Service/branch | U.S. Army | |
| Years of service | 1958-1960 | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | 02/05/1940 | |
| Place of birth | Washington, DC | |
| Profession | Legislator | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
 | ||
Contents |
Saslaw received a B.S. in Economics at the University of Maryland and served in the U.S. Army from 1958-60.
Saslaw served as Senate Democratic Floor Leader from 1996-98 and House Minority Leader from 1998-2008. Saslaw served on the House of Delegates from 1976-80.
Committee assignments
2012-2013
In the 2012-2013 legislative session, Saslaw served on the following committees:
2010-2011
In the 2010-2011 legislative session, Saslaw served on the following committees:
District 35
Saslaw represents Virginia Senate District 35. Senate District 35 includes Alexandria(part), Fairfax County(part).
Elections
2011
- See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2011
On November 8, 2011, Saslaw won re-election to District 35 of the Virginia State Senate. He was unchallenged in the August 23 primary and defeated Robert Sarvis in the November 8 general election.[1]
| Virginia State Senate, District 35 General Election, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Dick Saslaw Incumbent |
61.7% | 15,905 | |
| Republican | Robert Sarvis | 36% | 9,272 | |
| Green | Katherine Ann Pettigrew | 2.3% | 591 | |
| Total Votes | 25,768 | |||
2007
On Nov. 6, 2007, Saslaw won re-election to the 35th District Seat in the Virginia State Senate, defeating opponent Mario Palmiotto (I).[2]
Saslaw raised $784,132 for his campaign while Palmiotto raised $0.[3]
| Virginia State Senate, District 35 (2007) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Richard "Dick" Saslaw (D)
|
16,856 | 77.94% | ||
| Mario Palmiotto (I) | 4,532 | 20.95% | ||
Campaign donors
2011
In 2011, Saslaw received $1,224,039 in campaign donations. The top contributors are listed below.[4]
| Virginia State Senate 2011 election - Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Top contributors to Dick Saslaw's campaign in 2011 | |
| VAD PAC | $50,000 |
| Dominion | $50,000 |
| Virginia Medical Society | $35,000 |
| Verizon | $35,000 |
| Virginia Bankers Association | $34,297 |
| Total Raised in 2011 | $1,224,039 |
| Total Votes received in 2011 | 15,905 |
| Cost of each vote received | $76.96 |
2007
Below are Saslaw's top 5 campaign contributors in the 2007 election:
| Contributor | 2007 total |
|---|---|
| Howard Norton III | $100,000 |
| Dominion (Energy & Natural Resources) | $30,500 |
| West Group Properties | $30,000 |
| Virginia Automobile & Truck Dealers Association | $26,000 |
| Virginia Association of Realtors | $25,000 |
Issues
Political positions
Gas tax
Saslaw is a fervent supporter of a raise in the gasoline tax in Virginia. The Senate Majority Leader said he’s so desperate to raise the gas tax that he’d agree to sending a 0.5% sales tax hike to VDOT — something he’d previously opposed because he doesn’t want to draw general funds away from education or social services.
“This is a political issue and sooner or later someone’s going to have to have a backbone to do something about it,” Saslaw said.[5]
Campaign themes
2011
Saslaw's campaign website lists the following issues:
- Fiscal Responsibility & Economic Success
- Excerpt: "Senator Saslaw is known for his long record of fiscally disciplined leadership on the Senate Finance Committee. Since 2008, he has served as a key budget negotiator, and has worked across party lines to pass balanced budgets as constitutionally required."
- Education
- Excerpt: "Senator Saslaw believes a strong public education system is key to a productive work force and a strong economy for the 21st Century."
- Public Safety
- Excerpt: "Dick Saslaw serves on the Senate Courts of Justice Committee, which is responsible for legislation dealing with public safety. The Senator has been one of the strongest advocates for measures that will make our neighborhoods safer."
- Transportation
- Excerpt: "Dick Saslaw has led the fight for necessary transportation funding for our region. He chairs the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Transportation, and continues to work in a bi-partisan fashion to make sure that Northern Virginia receives its fair share of transportation funding."[6]
Personal
Saslaw was born in Washington, D.C. on February 5, 1940.
External links
- Dick Saslaw's Campaign website
- Biography from the Virginia Legislature
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions:1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007
- "Sen. Saslaw reacts to surplus announcement," By Stephen Groves, Virginia Statehouse News
- Dick Saslaw on Facebook
- Dick Saslaw's YouTube channel
References
- ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections - November 2011 General Election Official Results
- ↑ 2007 Election Results, Virginia Senate, District 35
- ↑ 2007 Campaign Spending, Virginia Senate, District 35
- ↑ Follow the Money - 2011 contributions
- ↑ "VDOT preps to extract more federal dollars than ever," Old Dominion Watchdog, December 3, 2010
- ↑ Campaign website, Issues
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by NA |
Virginia Senate District 35 1980-present |
Succeeded by NA |
| |||||
| |||||||||||||||||
