Dick Saslaw
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
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Saslaw was assigned to the following committees:
- Commerce and Labor Committee, Chair
- Education and Health Committee
- Finance and Appropriations Committee
- Judiciary Committee
- Senate Rules Committee
2020-2021
Saslaw was assigned to the following committees:
- Commerce and Labor Committee, Chair
- Education and Health Committee
- Finance and Appropriations Committee
- Judiciary Committee
- Senate Rules Committee
2019-2020
Saslaw was assigned to the following committees:
- Commerce and Labor Committee
- Education and Health Committee
- Senate Courts of Justice Committee
- Senate Finance Committee
- Senate Rules Committee
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:
| Virginia committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Commerce and Labor |
| • Courts of Justice |
| • Education and Health |
| • Finance |
| • Rules |
2014 legislative session
In the 2014 legislative session, Saslaw served on the following committees:
| Virginia committee assignments, 2014 |
|---|
| • Commerce and Labor |
| • Courts of Justice |
| • Education and Health |
| • Finance |
| • Senate Rules |
2012-2013
In the 2012-2013 legislative session, Saslaw served on the following committees:
| Virginia committee assignments, 2012 |
|---|
| • Commerce and Labor |
| • Courts of Justice |
| • Education and Health |
| • Finance |
| • Senate Rules |
2010-2011
In the 2010-2011 legislative session, Saslaw served on the following committees:
| Virginia committee assignments, 2010 |
|---|
| • Commerce and Labor, Chair |
| • Courts of Justice |
| • Education and Health |
| • Finance |
| • Senate Rules |
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]
Sponsored legislation
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 | ||
| ✔ |  | Dick Saslaw (D) | 92.5 | 35,131 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 7.5 | 2,833 | ||
| Total votes: 37,964 | |||
 = candidate completed 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 | ||
| ✔ | | Dick Saslaw | 48.6 | 7,381 |
 | Yasmine Taeb | 45.8 | 6,945 | |
| Karen Elena Torrent | 5.6 | 853 | ||
| Total votes: 15,179 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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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 |  Dick 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 | 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
- 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 | ||
| 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.
Scorecards
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 Virginia scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023
In 2023, the Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 11 to February 25.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental and conservation issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the Second Amendment.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the manufacturing sector.
2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 12 to March 12.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 13 to February 8.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 8 to March 12. A special session was held from August 18 to November 9.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 9 through February 24.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 10 through March 10. Special sessions were held from April 11 to May 30 and from August 30 to October 30.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 11 through February 25.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 13 through March 11.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 14 to February 28, 2015.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 8 through March 10.
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 9 to February 25.
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2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the Virginia General Assembly was in regular session from January 11 to March 10.
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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
2019 Elections
External links
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Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Democrats pick Sen. Scott Surovell to be majority leader in Va. Senate," November 15, 2023
- ↑ Old Dominion Watchdog, "VDOT preps to extract more federal dollars than ever," December 3, 2010
- ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "2015 November Election Calendar," accessed January 2, 2015
- ↑ Virginia Board of Elections, "2015 General election candidates," accessed August 21, 2015
- ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "November 2011 General Election Official Results," accessed May 15, 2014
- ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "November 6, 2007 General Election Official Results," accessed May 28, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2007 Campaign contributions," accessed May 28, 2014
- ↑ Campaign website, Issues
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Virginia State Senate District 35 1980-2024 |
Succeeded by Dave Marsden (D) |
 |
State of Virginia Richmond (capital) |
|---|---|
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