Sen. Saslaw will not run for re-election

Longtime Virginia state Sen. Dick Saslaw has confirmed the rumors about his retirement. Saslaw, currently the Senate Majority Leader, announced Feb. 23 on the Senate floor that he will not run for re-election in November.

The 83-year-old Democratic leader was first elected to the General Assembly in 1980.

Saslaw will retire when his term is up on Jan. 10, 2024. By then he will have served 48 years in the General Assembly, including 44 in the Senate.

Saslaw represents the 35th District, which includes parts of Annandale, Bailey’s Crossroads, Falls Church, Lincolnia, and Springfield.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Saslaw wrote: “It has been the highest honor to serve the people of the 35th District for more than four decades in the Virginia State Senate.”

“We’ve still got a ways to go, but I am proud to have played a role in the vast improvement we’ve seen in how marginalized communities are treated in the Commonwealth,” he tweeted. “My hope is that legislators continue to listen to one another to find the common ground needed to keep Virginia moving forward.”

Under a redistricting plan approved in 2021, both Saslaw and Sen. Dave Marsden would be in the same district. Marsden is running for re-election. If Saslaw were to run. he would face Marsden and newcomer Heidi Drauschak in the Democratic Primary in June.

The Fairfax County Democratic Committee thanked Saslaw for his leadership in a tweet, calling him “a tireless advocate for the people of Fairfax County and a leader on gun safety.”

Saslaw has also worked to expand Medicare in Virginia, oppose abortion restrictions, and increase funding for education. He has been a strong supporter of business interests, especially Dominion Energy, which has been one of his biggest contributors.

In 2019, Saslaw barely won the Democratic Primary against a more progressive opponent, Yasmine Taeb, with just 48.6 percent of the vote – and might have lost if there hadn’t been a third candidate.