Virginia Congressman Donald McEachin dies at 61 - The Washington Post

“We are each devastated astatine the passing of our brag and friend, Congressman Donald McEachin,” McEachin’s main of staff, Tara Rountree, said successful a connection precocious Monday night. “Valiantly, for years now, we person watched him combat and triumph implicit the secondary effects of his colorectal crab from 2013. Tonight, helium mislaid that battle, and the radical of Virginia’s Fourth Congressional District mislaid a leader who always, ever fought for them and enactment them first.”

A curate and lawyer, McEachin was the Democratic nominee for authorities lawyer wide successful 2001, losing to Republican Jerry Kilgore. State Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) recalled “watching him marque past arsenic the archetypal ever African American nominee” for that position. He was lone the 3rd African American to correspond Virginia successful the U.S. House.

Although McEachin’s wellness struggles had been known for years, his decease inactive caught galore by surprise.

“Hearing the quality of his decease sent a daze of symptom done maine tonight,” Lucas tweeted.

McEachin has publically discussed his conflict with cancer, and did truthful arsenic precocious arsenic 2 weeks ago. At a packed movie theatre hosting a “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” viewing party, McEachin stressed to the assemblage “the value of aboriginal detection,” urging regular exams, arsenic WTVR reported astatine the event. “Don’t fool around. Don’t spell done my journey,” McEachin said. “Go to the doctor.”

In 2018, McEachin attributed a melodramatic value nonaccomplishment to complications from his crab attraction and walking miles astir the Capitol each week. The adjacent year, helium underwent 2 surgeries aft helium developed a fistula, which his doc described to the Richmond Times-Dispatch arsenic “an abnormal transportation betwixt the bladder and colon.” He was besides hospitalized that twelvemonth for a humor clot.

But successful 2020, McEachin told the Times-Dispatch that helium was moving past the wellness problems that astatine 1 constituent had caused him to shed 60 pounds from his 6-foot-5 frame.

“God gets you to stuff, and past helium gets you done stuff,” helium told the insubstantial then.

In 2016, a Washington Post profile described the recently elected congressman arsenic a “Star Trek fanatic” who is “at erstwhile goofy and cerebral.” An Army brat calved successful Germany, McEachin studied governmental subject astatine American University earlier earning his instrumentality grade astatine the University of Virginia. His wife, Colette McEachin, is commonwealth’s lawyer for Richmond. They are the parents of 3 big children.

McEachin faced Republican Leon Benjamin, besides a minister, this twelvemonth and successful 2020. The Democrat won this twelvemonth with astir 65 percent of the vote.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) joined McEachin 3 weeks agone to observe the congressman’s win.

“He was a gentle giant, a compassionate champion for underdogs, a clime warrior, a Christian example, an knowing dad, a arrogant husband, a loyal brother,” Kaine said successful a connection emailed from his office.

In Congress, McEachin was known arsenic an impassioned champion for biology justness and for policies to mitigate clime change, with keen attraction to its uneven interaction connected disadvantaged oregon number communities.

In keeping with those priorities, McEachin had co-founded the United for Climate and Environmental Justice Task Force, portion besides serving connected the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Natural Resources Committee and Select Committee connected Climate Crisis. He fought arsenic good for preserving historical onshore and earthy beauty, specified arsenic the Great Dismal Swamp successful southeastern Virginia.

Rountree said the legislature bureau volition stay unfastened and volition proceed to service McEachin’s constituents until a caller typical is elected. A peculiar predetermination for his replacement volition beryllium called astatine a day chosen by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R).

“Heartbroken to larn of Don McEachin’s passing,” Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), who represents portion of Northern Virginia, tweeted. “A noble friend, husband, and father. An environmentalist, civilian rights advocate, faithful nationalist servant, and a antheral of consequence. There was nary amended state to have. I volition miss him terribly.”

Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.), who served with McEachin successful the authorities Senate, called McEachin a beloved person and mentor and “one hellhole of a legislator and leader,” whose “trusted counsel and ever calming beingness helped maine larn the ropes of nationalist work successful Richmond.” She said she would not beryllium successful Congress contiguous were it not for him.

“As I considered making the determination to tally backmost successful 2017 and visited him connected Capitol Hill,” Wexton wrote successful a statement, “he near maine with a parting enactment connected which were written the words of Thomas Paine: ‘These are the times that effort men’s souls. The summertime worker and the sunshine patriot will, successful this crisis, shrink from the work of their country; but helium that stands by it now, deserves the emotion and acknowledgment of antheral and woman.’ Donald insisted that helium and I were not ‘sunshine patriots.’ For his words of inspiration and content successful me, I americium everlastingly grateful. I volition dearly miss the contented and encouragement of my friend.”

The Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus issued a connection calling McEachin’s decease “a elephantine nonaccomplishment to our Commonwealth.”

“Congressman McEachin was a brilliant, compassionate quality being,” it said. “His emotion for humanity was ever uppermost successful his work, whether connected civilian rights, the environment, energy, oregon voting rights. His is simply a dependable that volition surely beryllium missed arsenic volition his precise presence.”