Youngkin announces special election to fill late Rep. McEachin's seat - The Washington Post

Del. Lamont Bagby (D-Henrico) and authorities Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan (D-Richmond), who ran for politician past year, person some filed paperwork to tally for the seat; Bagby is expected to formally denote his run aboriginal Monday.

Given that each are the apical 2 leaders of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus — Bagby the seat and McClellan vice seat — their apt candidacies could acceptable up a heated rivalry successful the deep-blue, majority-minority 4th District, which stretches from Richmond to the North Carolina border.

Joseph Preston, a lawyer, besides announced his run for the spot connected Monday. Preston served 1 twelvemonth successful the House of Delegates successful 2015 aft winning a peculiar predetermination to capable the spot of Rosalyn Dance, who was elected to the authorities Senate. Just months into his House term, Preston past decided to situation Dance successful a superior predetermination for her Senate seat, which helium lost.

The 4th District seat is expected to stay safely Democratic; 3 weeks earlier helium died, McEachin won a 4th word by 30 points against his Republican challenger, Leon Benjamin.

McEachin, who had served successful some the Virginia House of Delegates and state Senate during his governmental career, was archetypal elected to Congress successful 2016. Throughout his tenure, the lawyer and ordained curate developed a estimation for fierce advocacy for civilian rights and biology justice, paying keen attraction to however clime alteration and pollutants disproportionately impact disadvantaged oregon number communities.

He was diagnosed with crab successful 2013 and developed further complications from attraction successful 2018.

Bagby has described him arsenic a mentor.

“Donald McEachin spent his full vocation gathering a unthinkable bequest for this assemblage that we volition ne'er forget. I would not beryllium present without him. Tomorrow I volition archer you however I program to assistance physique connected the McEachin bequest for the adjacent generation,” Bagby wrote Sunday connected Twitter, teasing his run announcement.

McClellan filled McEachin’s spot successful the authorities Senate erstwhile helium was elected to Congress and noted successful a connection aft helium died that they had been friends for implicit 20 years.

Laura Vozzella contributed to this report.