Virginia state Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D) was elected to fill the congressional seat of the late Rep. Donald McEachin (D-VA) in Tuesday’s special election.
McClellan’s win is likely to be a landslide in the solidly Democrat Fourth Congressional District that is based in Richmond.
A special election was called by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) on December 12, 2022, after the passing of McEachin, who died of complications from colorectal cancer at the age of 61.
McClellan, who is a corporate attorney, faced off against Republican candidate Leon Benjamin Sr., a United States Navy veteran and pastor. Benjamin had run against McEachin two prior times and lost. He was not seen as competitive this time, either.
The new Rep.-elect has represented parts of Richmond in both chambers of the Commonwealth’s legislature since 2006.
As a longtime legislator, McClellan has pushed pro-abortion legislation. She was also a primary challenger of former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) in 2021, which ultimately saw a Youngkin victory.
McClellan’s victory will trigger another special election to fill her seat in the senate.
Breccan F. Thies is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @BreccanFThies.