RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Democrat Jennifer McClellan won the special election for Virginia’s 4th Congressional District to succeed the late U.S. Rep. A. Donald McEachin and will become the first Black woman to represent the commonwealth in Congress.
McClellan, a sitting state senator, will serve the rest of Rep. McEachin’s fourth term. McEachin died in November at the age of 61 weeks after winning reelection.
Similar to McEachin, McClellan defeated Republican Leon Benjamin, a pastor and Navy veteran who lost to Rep. McEachin twice, to secure the 4th Congressional District seat.
The Associated Press called the race for McClellan not long after polls closed at 7 p.m. According to results from the Virginia Department of Elections, McClellan has 69% of the vote with 165 of 302 precincts reporting.
Virginia’s 4th Congressional District, which McEachin represented since 2017, is anchored in the city of Richmond but extends down to the North Carolina border.
With the Richmond-area congressional district leaning blue, state Sen. McClellan (D-Richmond) was a heavy favorite to win the special election to fill McEachin’s seat. McClellan had won the primary for the Democratic nomination in a landslide, taking nearly 85% of the vote.
McClellan, a corporate attorney for Verizon in her 17th year in the General Assembly, first served in the Virginia House of Delegates before winning the state Senate seat McEachin held before he went to Congress.
During her time in the state legislature, McClellan was one of the key architects of Virginia’s own Voting Rights Act and championed legislation to expand reproductive rights.
In her victory speech on Tuesday, McClellan emphasized unity across the district and the wider Commonwealth.
“We will make this Commonwealth and this country a better place for everyone,” McClellan said. “I am ready to get to work. I have a little work to do down the street, but when we are done, I am ready to fight for you in Congress for as long as you will have me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
When she announced plans to run for the seat, McClellan acknowledged she had “big shoes” to fill and that she would continue to press on the issues McEachin advocated for while in Congress, including environmental justice and abortion access.
McEachin easily won reelection against Benjamin just a few weeks before his death after a battle with colorectal cancer, according to a press release. His office vowed to represent the district until a new representative was elected.
The race to fill McClellan’s Virginia Senate seat now kicks off. Multiple Democrats, including Dels. Dawn Adams (Richmond), Lamont Bagby (Henrico) and 4th District Democratic Committee Chair Alexsis Rodgers, have already put their names in the hat.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
