Dave is a progressive Democrat who supports reproductive healthcare access, gun safety, protecting our environment, a fully funded education system and child care, paid family and medical leave, juvenile justice reform, lowering the costs of prescription drugs, transportation infrastructure, and campaign finance reform.
Elected as a Democrat to the Virginia Senate in 2010 in a special election (flipping Ken Cuccinelli's seat), Senator Marsden has earned a reputation as a hard-working legislator who gets things done for Fairfax County and the Commonwealth. Before serving in the Virginia Senate, he served 4 years in the Virginia House of Delegates. Never afraid to put progress above partisanship, Senator Marsden has worked with Democrats and Republicans to pass legislation to relieve traffic congestion, improve education, and create jobs. He brings over 40 years of experience and expertise in the juvenile justice field to the legislature.
A lifelong resident of Northern Virginia, Dave Marsden lives in Burke with his wife Julia. Fairfax County is where Dave and Julia raised their three children. Dave graduated From W.T. Woodson High School in 1966 and Randolph-Macon College in 1970, when he began a career in Juvenile Justice as a Probation Officer with the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. He went on to establish and operate Fairfax County’s shelter home for youth with severe family problems and was later appointed as the first Superintendent of Fairfax County’s Juvenile Detention Center. Under Dave’s 17 years of leadership, there was never an escape or serious injury to residents at the facility.
Dave left his role as Superintendent in 1999 to become the Legislative Aide for Virginia House of Delegates member Jim Dillard. In 2000, Governor Jim Gilmore appointed Dave as the Chief Deputy and then Acting Director of the 2,700-person Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice. After serving for 6 months in the administration of Governor Mark Warner, Dave joined Development Services Group, Inc. (DSG), where he now manages a U.S. Department of Justice program that helps localities reduce youth gang activity and violent youth crime. Dave also served as the Obama Administration's Technical Assistance Director for the National Forum on Violence.
Dave has long been active in local community organizations. He served as President of the Enterprise School and the West*Lynch Foundation, in addition to coaching basketball, football, and soccer with the Braddock Road Youth Club, (BRYC). He also coached baseball for the Annandale-North Springfield Little League.
Senator Marsden has passed more than 100 bills, recent legislation includes;
