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Dick Saslaw

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Dick Saslaw
Democratic Party
Prior offices:
Virginia State Senate District 35
Years in office: 1980 - 2024
Successor: Dave Marsden (D)
Elections and appointments
Last election
November 5, 2019
Education
Bachelor's
University of Maryland
Military
Service / branch
U.S. Army
Years of service
1958 - 1960
Contact
Personal LinkedIn

Dick Saslaw (Democratic Party) was a member of the Virginia State Senate, representing District 35. He assumed office in 1980. He left office on January 10, 2024.

Saslaw (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Virginia State Senate to represent District 35. He won in the general election on November 5, 2019.

Saslaw served as state Senate majority leader from 1996 to 2024.[1]

Biography

Saslaw received a B.S. in economics from the University of Maryland. He served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1960.

Committee assignments

2023-2024

Saslaw was assigned to the following committees:

2020-2021

Saslaw was assigned to the following committees:

2019-2020

Saslaw was assigned to the following committees:

2016 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2016 legislative session, Saslaw served on the following committees:

Virginia committee assignments, 2016
• Commerce and Labor
• Courts of Justice
• Education and Health
• Finance
• Rules

2015 legislative session

In the 2015 legislative session, Saslaw served on the following committees:

2014 legislative session

In the 2014 legislative session, Saslaw served on the following committees:

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:

Issues

Political positions

Gas tax

Saslaw has been a fervent supporter of raising the gasoline tax in Virginia. The Senate Majority Leader said he was so desperate to raise the gas tax that he would 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.[2]

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Elections

2023

See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2023

Dick Saslaw did not file to run for re-election.

2019

See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2019

General election

General election for Virginia State Senate District 35

Incumbent Dick Saslaw won election in the general election for Virginia State Senate District 35 on November 5, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Dick Saslaw
Dick Saslaw (D)
 
92.5
 
35,131
 Other/Write-in votes
 
7.5
 
2,833

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 37,964
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Virginia State Senate District 35

Incumbent Dick Saslaw defeated Yasmine Taeb and Karen Elena Torrent in the Democratic primary for Virginia State Senate District 35 on June 11, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Dick Saslaw
Dick Saslaw
 
48.6
 
7,381
Image of Yasmine Taeb
Yasmine Taeb Candidate Connection
 
45.8
 
6,945
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Karen Elena Torrent
 
5.6
 
853

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 15,179
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2015

See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2015

Elections for the Virginia State Senate took place in 2015. A primary election was held on June 9, 2015. The general election took place on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 26, 2015.[3] Incumbent Dick Saslaw was unopposed in the Democratic primary. No Republican candidates filed for election. Terry Modglin (Independent Green) ran as a third party candidate. Saslaw defeated Modglin in the general election.[4]

Virginia State Senate, District 35 General Election, 2015
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngDick Saslaw Incumbent 75.6% 18,754
     Independent Green Terry Modglin 24.4% 6,055
Total Votes 24,809

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.[5]

Virginia State Senate, District 35 General Election, 2011
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngDick Saslaw Incumbent 61.7% 15,905
     Republican Robert Sarvis 36% 9,272
     Green Katherine Ann Pettigrew 2.3% 591
Total Votes 25,768

2007

See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2007

On Nov. 6, 2007, Saslaw won re-election to the 35th District Seat in the Virginia State Senate, defeating opponent Mario Palmiotto (I).[6]

Saslaw raised $784,132 for his campaign while Palmiotto raised $0.[7]

Virginia State Senate, District 35 (2007)
Candidates Votes Percent
Green check mark transparent.png Richard "Dick" Saslaw (D) 16,856 77.94%
Mario Palmiotto (I) 4,532 20.95%

Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Dick Saslaw did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.

2011

Saslaw's website highlighted the following campaign themes:

  • 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."[8]

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Dick Saslaw campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2019Virginia State Senate District 35Won general$2,509,138 N/A**
Grand total$2,509,138 N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Election Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards, State legislative scorecards in Virginia

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Virginia General Assembly in 2023.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Virginia General Assembly in 2022.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Virginia General Assembly in 2021.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Virginia General Assembly in 2020.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Virginia General Assembly in 2019.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Virginia General Assembly in 2018.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Virginia General Assembly in 2017.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Virginia General Assembly in 2016.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Virginia General Assembly in 2015.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Virginia General Assembly in 2014.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Virginia General Assembly in 2013.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Virginia General Assembly in 2012.

In 2011, the Virginia General Assembly was either not in session or no scorecards were found. Please contact us if you would like to suggest a scorecard.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Saslaw was born in Washington, D.C. on February 5, 1940.

See also

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External links

Personal

  • LinkedIn
    		•

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ The Washington Post, "Democrats pick Sen. Scott Surovell to be majority leader in Va. Senate," November 15, 2023
    2. ↑ Old Dominion Watchdog, "VDOT preps to extract more federal dollars than ever," December 3, 2010
    3. ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "2015 November Election Calendar," accessed January 2, 2015
    4. ↑ Virginia Board of Elections, "2015 General election candidates," accessed August 21, 2015
    5. ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "November 2011 General Election Official Results," accessed May 15, 2014
    6. ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "November 6, 2007 General Election Official Results," accessed May 28, 2014
    7. ↑ Follow the Money, "2007 Campaign contributions," accessed May 28, 2014
    8. ↑ Campaign website, Issues

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    -     		Virginia State Senate District 35
    1980-2024    		 Succeeded by
    Dave Marsden (D)


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