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Graham Moomaw, Virginia Mercury
State Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, defeated Republican pastor Leon Benjamin in Tuesday’s special election for a Richmond-centered seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, a victory that will make her Virginia’s first Black congresswoman.
McClellan, a corporate attorney who has championed progressive causes like abortion access and curbing climate change over 17 years in the Virginia General Assembly, cruised to victory in the heavily Democratic 4th Congressional District, with the Associated Press and other news outlets calling the race for her less than 30 minutes after the polls closed.
McClellan will succeed the late Rep. Donald McEachin, who died in November after battling colorectal cancer.
McEachin had defeated Benjamin in the last two election cycles in the 4th District, which runs from the Richmond region to Petersburg and parts of Southside Virginia.
“Jennifer McClellan’s history-making victory as the first Black woman to be elected to Congress from Virginia will have ripple effects across the Commonwealth,” Democratic Party of Virginia Chairwoman Susan Swecker said in a news release Tuesday night. “Her leadership will expand upon the outstanding progress and advocacy for which we remember Congressman A. Donald McEachin.”
McClellan raised her profile by running for governor in 2021, finishing third in a five-way Democratic primary dominated by former Gov. Terry McAuliffe.
Despite that disappointing result, McClellan’s path to Congress has been decisive. Just before Christmas, her supporters propelled her to a lopsided firehouse primary win over Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, as she locked up the Democratic nomination for the vacant seat.
Her race against Benjamin wasn’t particularly eventful. Campaign finance reports showed McClellan dominating the Republican in fundraising.
It’s unclear when McClellan will officially be sworn into the new job. The General Assembly is in the final week of its 2023 legislative session, and McClellan is expected to continue voting in the statehouse until the results of Tuesday’s election are finalized.
The outcome will also mean more jockeying among Richmond-area Democrats looking to move up and fill the Virginia Senate seat McClellan is leaving behind.
Dels. Dawn Adams, D-Richmond, and Lamont Bagby, D-Henrico, have expressed interest in running for the Senate job, as has Democratic activist Alexsis Rodgers.
Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sarah Vogelsong for questions: info@virginiamercury.com. Follow Virginia Mercury on Facebook and Twitter.
