Sen. McClellan's Historic March to Congress Has 8 Days to Go
RICHMOND, VA — After crushing the competition in a swiftly put together firehouse primary on Dec. 21, 2022, State Senator Jennifer McClellan is eight days away from ending what is expected to be a history making campaign. But she appears to be taking nothing for granted and has made several campaign stops on packed weekends as the General Assembly session schedule occupies the Senator’s time on weekdays.
📷 All photos by PAULETTE SHIPMAN-SINGLETON
Yesterday, at a rainy Souls to the Polls event in Richmond, Senator McClellan was joined by Congressman Bobby Scott who she will likely join in Washington on Capitol Hill in a few weeks. 🏃🏾♂️ Early voting is underway and in eight days on Feb. 21, the results of the race between McClellan and Republican Leon Benjamin is all but certain to result in the historic arrival of the first Black woman to be elected to Congress from Virginia. Benjamin’s campaign has posted images on social media of the Richmond Pastor knocking doors and enjoying events with his family. We’ve reached out to his campaign to report more of what he is doing in the last week but have not received an answer. 🙋🏽♀️ If anyone from the Benjamin campaign would like to reach out the e-mail is BlackVirginiaNews@gmail.com.
VIRGINIA IS LATE TO THE PARTY. Black women have already been elected in many other southern states and beyond — decades ago. In 1992, Leslie Byrne was the first woman to be elected to the Virginia congressional delegation. But Virginia is late to the party when it comes to Black women in Congress. Shirley Chisholm was the first ever when she won in New York over a half century ago in 1972. Rep. Frederica Wilson was the first Black woman to be elected to Congress from Florida in 2011. In North Carolina, Eva Clayton, was the first in 1991. In Georgia Cynthia McKinney was the first in 1992.
That McClellan’s historic effort to win Virginia’s fourth congressional district is happening during Black History Month 2023 makes it even more compelling. Though absentees will have to be counted and the GOP controls the U.S. House, it’s a safe prediction that McClellan should be sworn-in by March 1 should she defeat Benjamin, which is expected in such a heavily blue district. Below are photos from Senator McClellan’s last few days on the campaign trail. 📷 All photos by PAULETTE SHIPMAN-SINGLETON
As Senator McClellan’s campaign heads in to the final week of campaigning before Tuesday, Feb. 21, candidates are lining up to fill her State Senate seat. More on that soon.
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