Byrne, Leslie Larkin, 1946-

Leslie Larkin Byrne (born October 27, 1946) is an American businesswoman and politician. In 1992, she became the first woman elected to the United States House of Representatives from the Commonwealth of Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, she served for one term (1993–1995) in the 103rd Congress.

Born Leslie Larkin Beck in Salt Lake City, Utah, she attended Mount Vernon College, in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, where she majored in psychology and drama, graduating in 1965. During her sophomore year, she married Larry Byrne; the couple eventually moved to Falls Church, Virginia. She became active with several community organizations, including the Parent Teacher Association for her children's schools, the Fairfax Area League of Women Voters and the Fairfax County Commission on Fair Campaign Practices. 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 the Virginia House of Delegates for six years, having defeating two-term Republican incumbent Gwen Cody in 1985. In this role, she supported public/private partnerships for transportation, including the Dulles Greenway project. In 1992 Byrne ran for a U.S. House seat in a newly created northern Virginia district centered in Fairfax County. Byrne’s one term in office focused on protecting and increasing benefits to the families and federal employees in her district, particularly concentrating on health care, education, and retirement benefits. Byrne supported President Clinton’s economic initiatives and budget proposal. In her bid for re-election, Byrne lost by an eight-point margin.

After leaving the House, Byrne was an unsuccessful candidate for the 1996 Democratic nomination for a Virginia seat in the U.S. Senate. From 2000 to 2003, she served as a Democrat in the Virginia senate. In June 2005, Byrne won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor of Virginia but lost narrowly in the general election in November 2005. In 2008, she ran for the Democratic nomination for her old congressional seat, losing the Democratic primary to Gerry Connolly.