Leslie L. Byrne
Encyclopedia
Leslie Byrne is a former member of the United States House of Representatives
from Virginia, and was the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress from the Commonwealth of Virginia. She served for one term (1993–1995) in the 103rd Congress.
and Mount Vernon College in Ohio. Shortly after her family's 1971 arrival in Northern Virginia, Byrne entered the public arena as an activist in community organizations and the Parent Teacher Associations for her children's schools. She served as President of the Fairfax Area League of Women Voters and Chairwoman of the Fairfax County Commission on Fair Campaign Practices.
In 1985, Byrne co-founded Quintech Associates, Inc., a project-based human resources consulting firm to the high-tech community. She served as president of Quintech until her election to Congress in 1992.
She is married to Larry Byrne, who is President of Byrne and Associates, an international consulting firm. They have two grown children, daughter Alexis and son Jason, and three grandchildren.
for 7 years, starting in 1985 by defeating two-term Republican incumbent Gwen Cody, before being elected to the House of Representatives
in 1992 from the newly created . Virginia was awarded an additional House seat as a result of the 1990 U.S. Census
.
She is the first woman to have been elected to Congress from Virginia
, and in fact, 1992 was known as the "Year of the Woman
" for the large number of women elected to Congress in that election. While a member of the 103rd Congress, she served on the Public Works and Transportation Committee
and Subcommittees on Surface Transportation, Water Resources; and Investigations and Oversight. Representative Byrne was also a member of the Post Office and Civil Service Committee, serving on the subcommittee on employee benefits and compensation. The freshman Democratic members of the 103rd Congress elected her to the leadership position of freshman caucus whip. She introduced and passed more legislation than any other freshman representative. In addition, two of her measures on childhood immunization
passed into law early in the first session of the 103rd Congress. Rep. Byrne played a role in preventing cuts in federal workers' wages and benefits. Additionally, she helped lead the effort to improve federal oversight of the nation's 1.7 million miles of natural gas and petroleum pipelines. Byrne's legislative efforts included Medicaid
reform; increasing opportunities of IRA
holders to see their savings for first-time home purchases and college costs; cost savings on federal highway projects through value engineering and enhancing the international market for American high technologies. She helped obtain funds for rail from Tyson's Corner to Dulles.
Thomas M. Davis
, then Chairman of the Fairfax
Board of Supervisors, defeated her for re-election in 1994's "Republican Revolution
." His campaign charged that Byrne was too liberal for the swing district she represented and that her voting record was too supportive of President Clinton.
In 1996, Byrne sought the Democratic nomination for US Senate to challenge incumbent Senator John Warner
. Future Virginia Governor Mark Warner
(no relation) won the nomination at the 1996 Virginia Democratic Convention, garnering 1,889 Delegates to her 231. He went on to lose to Sen. Warner.
In 1998 she took a job at United States Information Agency
advising its director on the Au Pair
program.
Byrne returned to elected office when she was elected to the Senate of Virginia
in 1999, winning a very close election against two-term incumbent Republican Jane Woods (45.52% to Wood's 45.39%). She left the Senate after one term, choosing not to seek reelection after she was drawn into the same district as another Democratic incumbent during redistricting
. In the Senate of Virginia
she sponsored legislation to prohibit people from sleeping in rooms except bedrooms, a response to complaints of students and poor immigrants crowded into residential houses.
Byrne was the 2005 Democratic Party
candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
. Republican Party
candidate Bill Bolling
defeated her in the November 8, 2005 general election by 1.2%.
In the United States Senate election in Virginia, 2006, Byrne endorsed future Senator James Webb
for the Democratic nomination, while many local party activists supported his primary opponent, Harris Miller
.
, the seat she held from 1992 to 1994. She was the first to enter the race, well before the incumbent Thomas M. Davis
, a Republican, had announced he would choose not to seek reelection. In the primary election on June 10, 2008, she faced Gerald Connolly, Doug Denneny and Lori Alexander. Connolly, Chairman of the Fairfax County
Board of Supervisors, defeated Byrne by 58% to 33%, and went on to defeat Republican Keith Fimian, in the general election.
. Byrne has said that high-occupancy toll lanes are also promising as long as local governments are kept out of the planning process. Byrne supports linking land use policy to the needs of big business, two policy areas that are typically considered separately in Virginia.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Virginia, and was the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress from the Commonwealth of Virginia. She served for one term (1993–1995) in the 103rd Congress.
Early life and career
Byrne grew up in Salt Lake City and attended both the University of UtahUniversity of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
and Mount Vernon College in Ohio. Shortly after her family's 1971 arrival in Northern Virginia, Byrne entered the public arena as an activist in community organizations and the Parent Teacher Associations for her children's schools. She served as President of the Fairfax Area League of Women Voters and Chairwoman of the Fairfax County Commission on Fair Campaign Practices.
In 1985, Byrne co-founded Quintech Associates, Inc., a project-based human resources consulting firm to the high-tech community. She served as president of Quintech until her election to Congress in 1992.
She is married to Larry Byrne, who is President of Byrne and Associates, an international consulting firm. They have two grown children, daughter Alexis and son Jason, and three grandchildren.
Political career
Byrne served in the Virginia House of DelegatesVirginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...
for 7 years, starting in 1985 by defeating two-term Republican incumbent Gwen Cody, before being elected to the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in 1992 from the newly created . Virginia was awarded an additional House seat as a result of the 1990 U.S. Census
United States Census, 1990
The Twenty-first United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 248,709,873, an increase of 9.8 percent over the 226,545,805 persons enumerated during the 1980 Census....
.
She is the first woman to have been elected to Congress from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and in fact, 1992 was known as the "Year of the Woman
Year of the Woman
The Year of the Woman was a popular label attached to 1992 after the election of a number of female Senators in the United States.The hotly contested Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas involving the allegations of Anita Hill raised the question of the dominance...
" for the large number of women elected to Congress in that election. While a member of the 103rd Congress, she served on the Public Works and Transportation Committee
United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. John Mica currently chairs the committee.-History:...
and Subcommittees on Surface Transportation, Water Resources; and Investigations and Oversight. Representative Byrne was also a member of the Post Office and Civil Service Committee, serving on the subcommittee on employee benefits and compensation. The freshman Democratic members of the 103rd Congress elected her to the leadership position of freshman caucus whip. She introduced and passed more legislation than any other freshman representative. In addition, two of her measures on childhood immunization
Immunization
Immunization, or immunisation, is the process by which an individual's immune system becomes fortified against an agent ....
passed into law early in the first session of the 103rd Congress. Rep. Byrne played a role in preventing cuts in federal workers' wages and benefits. Additionally, she helped lead the effort to improve federal oversight of the nation's 1.7 million miles of natural gas and petroleum pipelines. Byrne's legislative efforts included Medicaid
Medicaid
Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
reform; increasing opportunities of IRA
Individual Retirement Account
An individual retirement arrangement is the blanket term for a form of retirement plan that provides tax advantages for retirement savings in the United States...
holders to see their savings for first-time home purchases and college costs; cost savings on federal highway projects through value engineering and enhancing the international market for American high technologies. She helped obtain funds for rail from Tyson's Corner to Dulles.
Thomas M. Davis
Thomas M. Davis
Thomas Milburn "Tom" Davis III was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Virginia's 11th congressional district in Northern Virginia. Davis was considering a run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by five-term incumbent and fellow Republican John...
, then Chairman of the Fairfax
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
Board of Supervisors, defeated her for re-election in 1994's "Republican Revolution
Republican Revolution
The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the media dubbed Republican Party success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate...
." His campaign charged that Byrne was too liberal for the swing district she represented and that her voting record was too supportive of President Clinton.
In 1996, Byrne sought the Democratic nomination for US Senate to challenge incumbent Senator John Warner
John Warner
John William Warner, KBE is an American Republican politician who served as Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term United States Senator from Virginia from January 2, 1979, to January 3, 2009...
. Future Virginia Governor Mark Warner
Mark Warner
Mark Robert Warner is an American politician and businessman, currently serving in the United States Senate as the junior senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Warner was the 69th governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and is the honorary chairman of...
(no relation) won the nomination at the 1996 Virginia Democratic Convention, garnering 1,889 Delegates to her 231. He went on to lose to Sen. Warner.
In 1998 she took a job at United States Information Agency
United States Information Agency
The United States Information Agency , which existed from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, USIA's broadcasting functions were moved to the newly created Broadcasting Board of Governors, and its exchange and non-broadcasting information functions were...
advising its director on the Au Pair
Au pair
An au pair is a domestic assistant from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a small monetary allowance for personal use...
program.
Byrne returned to elected office when she was elected to the Senate of Virginia
Senate of Virginia
The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 Senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia...
in 1999, winning a very close election against two-term incumbent Republican Jane Woods (45.52% to Wood's 45.39%). She left the Senate after one term, choosing not to seek reelection after she was drawn into the same district as another Democratic incumbent during redistricting
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
. In the Senate of Virginia
Senate of Virginia
The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 Senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia...
she sponsored legislation to prohibit people from sleeping in rooms except bedrooms, a response to complaints of students and poor immigrants crowded into residential houses.
Byrne was the 2005 Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years along with the Governor and Attorney General. The office is currently held by Republican William T. Bolling. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected...
. Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate Bill Bolling
Bill Bolling
William T. "Bill" Bolling is the current Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Running as a Republican, he was elected twice to the position by defeating his Democratic opponent in both the 2005 and 2009 general elections. He is the first Lieutenant Governor in the Commonwealth of Virginia to serve two...
defeated her in the November 8, 2005 general election by 1.2%.
In the United States Senate election in Virginia, 2006, Byrne endorsed future Senator James Webb
Jim Webb
James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
for the Democratic nomination, while many local party activists supported his primary opponent, Harris Miller
Harris Miller
Harris N. Miller is an American politician, businessman, and lobbyist. He is currently president of the Career Colleges Association, the umbrella government relations group for 1,400 for-profit vocational schools in the United States. He was formerly the president of the Information Technology...
.
2008 congressional race
In 2008, Byrne ran for the Democratic nomination for Virginia's 11th congressional districtVirginia's 11th congressional district
Virginia's Eleventh Congressional District is a U.S. congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It comprises most of Fairfax County, all of the city of Fairfax, and part of eastern Prince William County...
, the seat she held from 1992 to 1994. She was the first to enter the race, well before the incumbent Thomas M. Davis
Thomas M. Davis
Thomas Milburn "Tom" Davis III was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Virginia's 11th congressional district in Northern Virginia. Davis was considering a run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by five-term incumbent and fellow Republican John...
, a Republican, had announced he would choose not to seek reelection. In the primary election on June 10, 2008, she faced Gerald Connolly, Doug Denneny and Lori Alexander. Connolly, Chairman of the Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
Board of Supervisors, defeated Byrne by 58% to 33%, and went on to defeat Republican Keith Fimian, in the general election.
Issues
Byrne has supported public/private partnerships for transportation, including the Dulles Greenway project when she was in the Virginia House of DelegatesVirginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...
. Byrne has said that high-occupancy toll lanes are also promising as long as local governments are kept out of the planning process. Byrne supports linking land use policy to the needs of big business, two policy areas that are typically considered separately in Virginia.