McClellan Wins Huge, Headed to Congress
RICHMOND, VA — Last night, State Senator Jennifer McClellan became the first Black woman in history to be elected to Congress from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Florida, North Carolina, Texas and Georgia have all elected Black women to Congress, all at least twice, over decades. McClellan’s victory in Virginia happens 51 years after Barbara Jordan of Texas became the first Black woman elected to Congress from any of the 13 southern states.
With most of the Democratic members for the Virginia House General Assembly present at her election night party in Richmond, McClellan won a second easy victory on her road to making history in Congress. She defeated Richmond Pastor Leon Benjamin with over 70 percent of the vote in Virginia’s fourth congressional district.
McClellan also made a historic run for Governor in 2021 in a race that featured three Black candidates running for the mansion for the first time in Virginia’s history.
The State Senator also easily won a firehouse primary as part of a rushed nomination process back in December. The two decisive wins should drive talk of McClellan possibly running for Governor in 2025 since Virginia has an off-year gubernatorial election and members of Congress can run without forfeiting their congressional seat. McClellan will be on the ballot again in 2024 as Democrats fight to win back control of the U.S. House in a presidential election year.
McClellan started her remarks last night by mentioning the late fourth congressional district Congressman A. Donald McEachin, who died on November 28, 2022 and whose seat she will now serve in.
"He is with us in spirit,” McClellan said. She also thanked “everyone who had a part in this moment,” including, “my great grandparents, Shirley Chisholm… you helped us make history,” she told the crowd.
McClellan’s victory happened on a day when she passed two pieces of legislation on the floor of the Virginia Senate as the Virginia General Assembly wrapped up work in the final days of their 2023 session.
Now McClellan heads to Washington, D.C. and will serve in the largest Congressional Black Caucus in history in a U.S. House that is highly partisan as Democrats work to regain control in 2024 and presidential politics increasingly amplify.
The U.S. House will be 222 Republicans and 213 Democrats after McClellan is officially sworn-in to office, which should take place next week. Congress is in recess this week with both parties holding annual retreats and Republicans walking a tightrope of barely being able to keep a caucus inline that could at any moment revolt on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Because Democrats are in the minority in the U.S. House and McClellan arrives late, her committee assignments ill be greatly controlled by what is left after most of the decisions for committee placement have been determined. But in a Congress with a nine-member difference between Republicans and Democrats, she may unexpected land on a vital committee assignment. Congress is back in session next week.
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