Pennsylvania State Senate
In 2020,he challenged Democratic incumbent Larry Farnese for his seat in the Pennsylvania State Senate, [2] earning the endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders in May 2020. [11] Saval based his campaign around a Green New Deal,prison reform,guaranteed affordable housing,redevelopment of Philadelphia schools,and Medicare for All. [12] He beat Farnese in the primary and became de facto State Senator-elect,as he had no opposition in the general election. [12] [13]
He was a member of the Democratic Socialists of America from 2014 through at least 2020. [11]
In 2022,Saval introduced the Whole-Home Repairs Act,legislation which aims to provide eligible residents with grants of up to $50,000 to make health-and-safety focused home repairs. Small landlords would also be eligible to apply for similar loans under the same program,and the state government would also invest in training qualified home-repair workers. This program is partly intended to help low-income residents become eligible for federal grants from the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP),which subsidizes energy-efficiency upgrades for poorer residents. Despite Saval himself’s position on the left wing of the Democratic party,Saval’s bill has received signals of support from several Republican committee chairs. [14]
In 2024,Saval supported a legislative proposal to increase housing supply in Pennsylvania by reducing onerous zoning regulations that restrict housing. The bill would permit duplexes in small towns and fourplexes in mid-sized towns previously zoned exclusively for single-family housing,as well as permit accessory dwelling units in all areas zoned for single-family housing. [15]
