Key takeaways:
- Democrat Jennifer McClellan was elected to fill an open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, making her the first Black woman to represent the state in Congress.
- McClellan won the special election for the Democratic-leaning 4th District by about 40 percentage points.
- McClellan’s victory is a milestone in Virginia politics, and her election is seen as a sign of progress for the state.
On Tuesday, Virginia voters elected Democrat Jennifer McClellan to fill an open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, making her the first Black woman to represent the state in Congress. McClellan, a veteran state legislator from Richmond, won the special election for the Democratic-leaning 4th District, which has its population center in the capital city and stretches south to the North Carolina border.
McClellan, 50, defeated right-wing Republican nominee Leon Benjamin by about 40 percentage points. During her campaign, McClellan painted her bid as an honor heavy with responsibility to be the state’s first Black woman to head to Congress, pointing to her family’s experiences in the Jim Crow era.
In her victory speech at a party with supporters in Richmond, McClellan said, “We will make this commonwealth and this country a better place for everyone.”
The seat was open after the death of Democratic Rep. Donald McEachin, who died after a long fight with the secondary effects of cancer. McClellan’s victory is a milestone in Virginia politics, and her election is seen as a sign of progress for the state.
Be First to Comment