Who is Rich Savage?

In a book about New York Government, author Robert B. Ward had this to say:

Among political observers, the office of lieutenant governor traditionally receives respect equal to that given the U.S. vice presidency — in other words, not much. One who held the latter office, John Nance Garner, is famously reputed to have said that it was “not worth a pitcher of warm spit,” although some reports indicate that his actual quote was slightly more vulgar.

As of this writing, Virginia Democrats will have four candidates to choose from come June. The third candidate to announce was Rich Savage, and I had the privilege of spending some time with him last week.

Richard J. “Rich” Savage, 46, is a political consultant. He is a California native and former TV reporter. The father of twin 15-year-old girls, Savage has called Richmond home since 1995, after relocating from Texas the firm he started in 1988. His firm, Media Directions, Inc., has done work on behalf of Democratic candidates across the country. In Virginia, he has worked with candidates ranging from Portsmouth’s Steve Heretick (council race 2004) to Viola Baskerville (LG race 2005) as well as the Democratic Party of Virginia and the League of Conservation Voters.

Savage is a very likable fellow, easily breaking into the trademark grin that no doubt benefited him in his television career. But he quickly becomes serious when discussing his passion – education, a topic prominently featured on his website.  Not wanting to get too far into policy questions, I asked him to talk about himself. He chose to talk about his involvement in rec league football.

Savage, who played a little football in high school, coached at Richmond’s Randolph Community Center from 2003-2006, working with 12-15 year olds. He also volunteered at one of the area’s high schools as a coaching assistant. It was this experience that led him to start The Savage Foundation in 2008. The purpose of the nonprofit is to help “middle and high school students achieve excellence in the arts, academics, and athletics.” The initial event for the Foundation was the Virginia debut of the movie “Two Million Minutes,” which compares senior honor students in China, India, and the U.S.

That, of course, led us back to the topic of eduction. (To get some sense of Savage’s commitment to education, listen to his interview on the movie.) The LG, though, does not have the ability to initiate or implement policy. I asked Savage about this and he said that he believed with his contacts in the legislature, he would be able to get someone to introduce the legislation.  Savage lacks legislative experience and when asked about handling the LG’s duties – serving as president of the Senate and presiding over it – he said that he would be relying on those contacts – and  “a copy of Roberts Rules ” – to help him with this. (Interestingly enough, it was his legislative experience that DPVA Chair C. Richard Cranwell discussed with me months ago as being one of the reasons he wanted to be LG.)

It is no secret that Savage got into the race after polling showed it to be wide open. With the first two announced candidates – Jon Bowerbank and Jody Wagner – having been in the race much longer, I asked Savage how he intended to compete. He believes his message and his story will resonate with voters. “Ideas and optimism can trump endorsements and early money,” Savage said.

The LG position is often seen as a stepping stone to the governor’s mansion. (I recall current LG Bill Bolling openly saying in 2005 that he intended to run for governor.) Savage, at this time, has no such plans.

There is a lot to like about Rich Savage, even though I find his lack of legislative experience a bit troubling. One thing is clear: with four candidates in the race, this one won’t be a snoozer.