Virginia Democrats move to elect state’s first Black woman to Congress

Democrats in a vacant Richmond-based congressional district nominated Virginia State Senator Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) for the seat, putting her on a path to becoming the state’s first Black woman in Congress. State Sen McClellan received 85 percent of the vote, compared to 14 percent for State Sen. Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond), and less than 1 percent each for two other candidates. State Sen McClellan is the vice chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and a former gubernatorial candidate. She spent more than 10 years in Virginia’s House of Delegates and succeeded Don McEachin in the state Senate after he was elected to Congress in 2016. Rep. McEachin died on Nov. 28, just weeks after winning reelection. McClellan raked in dozens of endorsements from local and national Democratic politicians and groups including the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, EMILY’s List, End Citizens United/Let America Vote, NewDem Action Fund, Virginia’s entire Democratic congressional delegation and Colette McEachin, the wife of the late congressman. The district is heavily blue, so McClellan is very likely to win the special election on Feb. 21, when she’ll face off against Republican Leon Benjamin.