Prior to his election to the House of Representatives, Satterfield served as an assistant United States attorney from 1950-1953, a Richmond city councilman from 1954-1956, and in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1960-1964. Satterfield ran for Congress in the Richmond-based 3rd District in 1964 after 20-year incumbent J. Vaughan Gary retired. He defeated Republican Richard Obenshain, who would later go on to become state party chairman, by only 654 votes. Obenshain nearly won on the strength of Barry Goldwatercarrying the district; Goldwater won every county-level jurisdiction in the district except for the city of Richmond. This was the second straight contest in which the Republicans nearly ended the long run of Democratic dominance in the district; two years earlier Gary had only survived by 348 votes. The district reverted to form, and Satterfield was reelected seven more times without serious difficulty, even running unopposed in 1966 and 1972 and only facing an independent in 1976 and 1978. This came even in years when Republican presidential candidates carried the district handily. He was admitted to the bar in both Virginia and the District of Columbia. He practiced law in Richmond, and, after he left Congress, in Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Virginia.
Electoral history
1964; Satterfield was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives with 34.48% of the vote, defeating Republican Richard D. Obenshain and Independents Edward E. Haddock and Stanley Smith.
1966; Satterfield was re-elected unopposed.
1968; Satterfield was re-elected with 60.25% of the vote, defeating Republican John S. Hansen.
1970; Satterfield was re-elected with 67.24% of the vote, defeating Republican J. Harvie Wilkinson III and Independent Mrs. Ulrich Troubetskoy.
1972; Satterfield was re-elected unopposed.
1974; Satterfield was re-elected with 88.53% of the vote, defeating Independent Alan R. Ogden.
1976; Satterfield was re-elected with 88.06% of the vote, defeating Independent Ogden.
1978; Satterfield was re-elected with 87.85% of the vote, defeating Independent Ogden.
