Dave Marsden is a Democratic state senator representing District 35 in the Virginia Senate, which includes parts of Fairfax County such as Springfield, Annandale, Burke, Kings Park, Lincolnia, and Lake Barcroft. Born on April 5, 1948, in Alexandria, Virginia, he is a lifelong Northern Virginia resident living in Burke with his wife Julia, where they raised three children. A hardworking legislator known for bipartisanship, Marsden has passed over 100 bills addressing traffic congestion, education, jobs, and gun safety, including universal background checks and a statewide extreme risk law; he flipped a Republican seat in a 2010 special election and currently chairs the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Graduated from W.T. Woodson High School and earned a BA in Sociology from Randolph-Macon College .
• Early Career: Began as a probation officer with Fairfax County Juvenile Court, became the first superintendent of Fairfax County Juvenile Detention Center, served as Chief Deputy/Acting Director of the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice under Governor Jim Gilmore, and later managed U.S. Department of Justice programs on youth crime and gang reduction; also served as Technical Assistance Director for President Obama’s National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention.
• Political Experience: Legislative aide to Delegate Jim Dillard ; Virginia House of Delegates ; Virginia Senate since 2010 .