virginia capital building

PHOTO: MGN

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Long-serving Senate Democratic Leader Dick Saslaw is announcing plans to retire. Saslaw said in a floor speech Thursday he is proud of the legacy he will leave behind as his nearly five decades in state politics come to an end. The 83-year-old will not seek reelection after his term ends in January. Saslaw joined the Senate in 1980 after serving in the House of Delegates. While representing a northern Virginia district, he has been a resolute defender of abortion rights and helped lead the push for Medicaid expansion. Saslaw’s announcement was followed by an outpouring of bipartisan praise from his colleagues.