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Leslie Larkin Beck
Member of theVirginia Senate from the34th district
In office January 12, 2000 – January 14, 2004
Preceded by	Jane Woods
Succeeded by	Jeannemarie Devolites Davis
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's11th district
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by	Constituency reestablished
Succeeded by	Tom Davis
Member of theVirginia House of Delegates from the38th district
In office January 8, 1986 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Gwendalyn F. Cody
Succeeded by	Robert D. Hull
Personal details
Born	Leslie Larkin Beck (1946-10-27)October 27, 1946 (age 79) Salt Lake City,Utah, U.S.
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Larry Byrne
Education	University of Utah Mount Vernon College

Leslie Larkin Byrne (néeBeck; born October 27, 1946) is an American politician and businesswoman who served as theU.S. representative forVirginia's11th congressional district from 1993 to 1995. In 1992, she became the first woman elected to theUnited States House of Representatives from theCommonwealth of Virginia. A member of theDemocratic Party, she served for one term but was quickly defeated for re-election in1994 byRepublicanTom Davis.

Byrne was born inSalt Lake City, Utah, the daughter of Stephen and Shirley Beck.^[1] Byrne grew up in Salt Lake City and attended both theUniversity of Utah and Mount Vernon College in Ohio.^[2] After her family moved to Northern Virginia in 1971, she became active with several community organizations, including theParent Teacher Association for her children's schools, the Fairfax AreaLeague of Women Voters and the Fairfax County Commission on Fair Campaign Practices.^{[citation needed]}

In 1985, Byrne co-founded Quintech Associates, Inc., a human resources consulting firm. She served as president of Quintech until her election to Congress in 1992.

Byrne served in theVirginia House of Delegates for six years, having defeated two-term Republican incumbent Gwen Cody in 1985. In this role, she supported public/private partnerships for transportation, including theDulles Greenway project.^{[citation needed]}

In 1992, Virginia was awarded an additional House seat as a result of the1990 U.S. census. Byrne ran for Congress that year in the newly created11th congressional district. When she won that race, she became the first woman elected to Congress fromVirginia.^[3] The election year 1992 was known as the "Year of the Woman" for the large number of women elected to Congress in that election.^[4]

While a member of the 103rd Congress, Byrne served on thePublic Works and Transportation Committee. She was also a member of thePost Office and Civil Service Committee.

The freshman Democratic members of the 103rd Congress elected her to the leadership position of freshman caucus whip.^{[citation needed]} She introduced and passed more legislation than any other freshman representative, including two of her measures on childhoodimmunization that were passed into law.^{[citation needed]} She helped obtain funds for rail fromTysons Corner toDulles Airport.^{[citation needed]}

Thomas M. Davis, then chairman of theFairfax County 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 PresidentBill Clinton.^[5]

In1996, Byrne sought the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate to challenge incumbent SenatorJohn Warner. Future Virginia GovernorMark Warner (no relation) won the nomination at the 1996 Virginia Democratic Convention, garnering 1,889 delegates to Byrne's 231. He lost to Senator Warner in the general election.

In 1998, Byrne began work at theUnited States Information Agency, advising its director on theau pair program.^[6]

Byrne returned to elected office in 1999 when she was elected to theSenate of Virginia, winning a very close election against two-term incumbent RepublicanJane Woods (45.52% to Woods'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 duringredistricting. In the Virginia Senate, 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.^[7][8]

Byrne was the 2005Democratic Party candidate forLieutenant Governor of Virginia.Republican Party candidateBill Bolling defeated her in the November 8, 2005 general election by 1.2%.

In 2008, Byrne ran for the Democratic nomination forVirginia's 11th congressional district, the seat she held from 1993 to 1995. The incumbent Republican,Thomas M. Davis, had announced he would not seek reelection. In the primary election on June 10, 2008, she facedGerald Connolly, chairman of theFairfax County Board of Supervisors, and others in a multicandidate field. Connolly defeated Byrne 58% to 33%^[9][10] and went on to defeat Republican Keith Fimian in the general election.

She is married to Larry Byrne, who is president of an international consulting firm. They have two grown children and three grandchildren.

• Women in the United States House of Representatives

• United States Congress."Leslie Byrne (id: B001213)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Campaign Website at theWayback Machine (archived January 12, 2006)
• Virginia House of Delegates biography
• Campaign site
• Appearances onC-SPAN

• 1946 births
• 20th-century American women politicians
• 20th-century United States representatives
• 20th-century members of the Virginia General Assembly
• 21st-century American women politicians
• 21st-century members of the Virginia General Assembly
• Candidates in the 2008 United States elections
• Democratic Party United States representatives from Virginia
• Democratic Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates
• Democratic Party Virginia state senators
• Female United States representatives
• Living people
• University of Utah alumni
• Women state legislators in Virginia

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