Dick Saslaw facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dick Saslaw
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| Majority Leader of the Virginia Senate | |
| In office January 8, 2020 – January 10, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Tommy Norment |
| Succeeded by | Scott Surovell |
| In office January 28, 2014 – June 12, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Tommy Norment |
| Succeeded by | Tommy Norment |
| In office January 2008 – January 12, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Walter Stosch |
| Succeeded by | Tommy Norment |
| Minority Leader of the Virginia Senate | |
| In office June 12, 2014 – January 8, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Tommy Norment |
| Succeeded by | Tommy Norment |
| In office January 12, 2012 – January 28, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Tommy Norment |
| Succeeded by | Tommy Norment |
| In office January 1998 – January 2008 |
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| Succeeded by | Tommy Norment |
| Member of the Virginia Senate from the 35th district |
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| In office January 9, 1980 – January 10, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Omer Hirst |
| Succeeded by | Dave Marsden (Redistricting) |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 19th district |
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| In office January 14, 1976 – January 9, 1980 |
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| Preceded by | James Tate |
| Succeeded by | Jim Dillard |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Richard Lawrence Saslaw
February 5, 1940 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Eleanor Saslaw |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of Maryland, College Park (BA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1958–1960 |
Richard Lawrence Saslaw (born February 5, 1940) is an American politician who served in the Virginia House of Delegates and later the Senate of Virginia. He was a key leader for the Democratic Party in the Virginia Senate for many years. He represented the 35th district, which includes parts of Falls Church, Fairfax County, and Alexandria.
Saslaw was the leader of the Virginia Senate Democrats from 1998 until 2024. He served as the Senate Majority Leader from 2020 to 2024. He also held this role from 2008 to 2012 and for part of 2014. When his party was not in the majority, he served as the Senate Minority Leader.
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About His Life
Richard Saslaw was born and grew up in Washington, D.C.. After high school, he served in the United States Army from 1958 to 1960. He then went to the University of Maryland and earned a degree in economics. Later, he started a business in the gasoline service station industry.
In 1968, Saslaw and his wife, Eleanor, moved to northern Virginia. Eleanor was a retired school guidance director and served on the Virginia State Board of Education. They have one daughter, Jennifer. Saslaw is Jewish and has been involved in Virginia's Jewish community for many years.
His Role as a Leader
Senator Saslaw became a floor leader in the Virginia State Senate in 1996. This happened during a time when Democrats and Republicans had an equal number of seats. In 1998, he was chosen as the Senate Minority Leader. He kept this role until 2008, when Democrats gained control and he became the Senate Majority Leader.
He was the Majority Leader until 2012, when his party lost control. He then served as Minority Leader again until 2019, except for a short period in 2014 when he was Majority Leader. He was elected Majority Leader again in 2020.
Senator Saslaw also led important committees in the Senate. He was the Chair of the Commerce and Labor Committee. He was also a senior member of committees like Judiciary, Education and Health, Finance and Appropriations, and Rules.
What He Cared About
Gun Safety
In 2019, Senator Saslaw suggested new laws to make gun safety stronger. He wanted to raise the age for buying a gun in Virginia from 18 to 21. He also proposed banning "bump stocks," which are devices that can make a gun fire faster. These bills did not pass at that time.
In 2011, he was part of a committee that stopped a bill known as "Castle Doctrine." This bill would have allowed people to use deadly force against an intruder in their home without facing legal trouble.
Health Care Access
Senator Saslaw played a big part in helping Medicaid expansion become law in Virginia. Medicaid is a program that helps people with lower incomes get health insurance. He helped make sure a bill to expand Medicaid could be voted on, even when some tried to stop it. Because of this, over 400,000 people in Virginia gained health insurance coverage in 2018.
Energy and the Environment
Saslaw worked closely with Dominion Energy, which is Virginia's largest electric company. In 2018, he helped pass the Grid Transformation and Security Act. This law allowed regulators to review utility rates regularly again. It also set aside $200 million in credits for customers. The bill also made it easier to approve new solar energy projects, aiming for 5,000 megawatts of solar power.
Education Support
Education was always a top priority for Senator Saslaw. He was a senior member of the Senate Education and Health Committee and led the Higher Education Subcommittee. In 2006, he was named "Legislator of the Year" by the Virginia Association of School Boards. In 2013, the Virginia Education Association also gave him this award for his work on school funding.
Thanks to the expansion of Medicaid in 2018, more money became available for education. This led to a 3% pay raise for teachers, which later increased to 5%. The budget also included money for students who need extra help and for more school counselors.
Transportation and Metro Funding
Senator Saslaw was a main supporter of a bill to help fund the Metro system in the Washington, D.C. area. This bill made sure Virginia would contribute $154 million each year to Metro. This was a big step forward because getting different states to agree on funding for Metro had been difficult before.
Retirement
In 2023, Senator Saslaw announced that he would not run for re-election. He retired from Virginia politics at the end of his term in 2024.
