2023 Virginia's 4th congressional district special election
The 2023 Virginia's 4th congressional district special election was a special election to the U.S. House of Representatives that was held to fill Virginia's 4th congressional district for the remainder of the 118th United States Congress. The seat became vacant after incumbent Democrat Donald McEachin died on November 28, 2022, of colorectal cancer.[1][2] State Senator Jennifer McClellan was declared the victor shortly after the polls closed, winning in a landslide against her Republican opponent.
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Virginia's 4th congressional district | |||||||||||||||||
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 County and independent city results McClellan: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Benjamin: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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In the United States, vacancies in the House must be filled by special elections. Under Virginia law, the governor schedules the special election and political parties handle their nominating processes themselves. On December 12, 2022, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that the special election would take place on February 21, 2023.[3] According to the writ of election, party nominees and other prospective candidates had until December 23 to file to run in the special election.[4]
Democratic primary
editThe Fourth Congressional District Democratic Committee, responsible for choosing a nominee by December 23, organized an unassembled caucus, or "firehouse primary," on December 20 with a filing deadline of December 16.[5] According to the Democratic Party of Virginia, the race saw the highest turnout in a "firehouse primary" in Virginia history.[6]
The solid Democratic lean of the district meant that victory in the primary was seen as tantamount to election. Political analysts perceived the short timeline between the writ of election and the primary date as beneficial to candidates with institutional support. The major candidates in the primary were state senators Jennifer McClellan, who was considered to be the establishment favorite, and "firebrand" Joe Morrissey. Morrissey criticized the lack of polling locations in his Senate district and his campaign paid for a radio ad encouraging Republicans to vote for him.[7]
McClellan won with 85% of the vote to Morrissey's 14%.[8]
Candidates
editNominee
edit- Jennifer McClellan, state senator from the 9th district (2017–present) and candidate for Governor of Virginia in 2021[9]
Eliminated in primary
edit- Tavorise Marks, insurance business owner and candidate for Virginia's 62nd House of Delegates district in 2019[10]
- Joe Morrissey, state senator from the 16th district (2020–present) and candidate for Mayor of Richmond in 2016[11]
- Joseph Preston, former state delegate from the 63rd district (2015–2016)[12]
Withdrawn
edit- Lamont Bagby, state delegate from the 74th district (2015–present) and chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus[13][14] (endorsed McClellan)
Declined
edit- Lashrecse Aird, former state delegate from the 63rd district (2016–2022)[10]
- Colette McEachin, Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney and widow of Donald McEachin[15] (endorsed McClellan)
- Levar Stoney, Mayor of Richmond (2017–present) and former Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth (2014–2016)[15] (endorsed McClellan)
- Treska Wilson-Smith, Petersburg city councilor[16]
Endorsements
editState legislators
Delores McQuinn, state delegate from the 70th district (2009–present)[10] (switched endorsement to McClellan after Bagby withdrew)[17]- Luke Torian, state delegate from the 52nd district (2010–present)[18]
Local officials
Levar Stoney, Mayor of Richmond (2017–present) and former Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth (2014–2016)[10] (switched endorsement to McClellan after Bagby withdrew)[19]
U.S. senators
- Tim Kaine, U.S. senator from Virginia (2013–present), former governor of Virginia (2006–2010), and former mayor of Richmond (1998–2001)[20]
- Mark Warner, U.S. senator from Virginia (2009–present) and former governor of Virginia (2002–2006)[19]
U.S. representatives
- Don Beyer, U.S. representative from Virginia's 8th congressional district (2015–present) and former lieutenant governor of Virginia (1990–1998)[21]
- Gerry Connolly, U.S. representative from Virginia's 11th congressional district (2009–present)[21]
- Maxwell Frost, U.S. representative from Florida's 10th congressional district (2023–present)[22]
- Elaine Luria, U.S. representative from Virginia's 2nd congressional district (2019–2023)[19]
- Nancy Pelosi, U.S. representative from California's 11th congressional district (1987–present) and Speaker of the House (2007–2011, 2019–2023)[23]
- Abigail Spanberger, U.S. representative from Virginia's 7th congressional district (2019–present)[19]
- Jennifer Wexton, U.S. representative from Virginia's 10th congressional district (2019–present)[21]
State officials
- Viola Baskerville, former Virginia Secretary of Administration (2006–2010) and former state delegate from the 71st district (1998–2005)[21]
State legislators
- Dawn Adams, state delegate from the 68th district (2018–present)[21]
- Lamont Bagby, state delegate from the 74th district (2015–present), chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and withdrawn candidate in this election[24]
- Mamie Locke, state senator from the 2nd district (2004–present) and former mayor of Hampton (2000–2004)[20]
- Louise Lucas, President pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia (2020–present) from the 18th district (1992–present)[20]
- Delores McQuinn, state delegate from the 70th district (2009–present)[17]
- Rodney Willett, state delegate from the 70th district (2020–present)[21]
Local officials
- Colette McEachin, Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney and widow of Donald McEachin[25]
- Levar Stoney, Mayor of Richmond (2017–present) and former Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth (2014–2016)[19]
Organizations
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jennifer McClellan | 23,661 | 84.8 | |
| Democratic | Joe Morrissey | 3,782 | 13.6 | |
| Democratic | Tavorise Marks | 217 | 0.8 | |
| Democratic | Joseph Preston | 174 | 0.6 | |
| Unallocated | 66 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 27,900 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
editThe Fourth Congressional District Republican Committee, responsible for choosing a nominee by December 23, held a canvass event in Colonial Heights on December 17.[32]
Candidates
editNominee
editEliminated in primary
edit- Derrick Hollie, marketing executive[32]
- Dale Sturdifen, former chair of the Mecklenburg County Public Schools Board and candidate for Virginia's 15th Senate district in 2019[10]
General election
editAnalysis
editDespite already being regarded as a safe seat, McClellan still managed to widen the margin from the previous election in the district, winning with the largest percentage of votes in any federal election in the state since 2020 and the largest of any special election since 1946. Being a special election in an off year that comes with turnout downturn, McClellan won about three quarters of the total vote, while Benjamin slid to just a quarter of the vote, losing for the third time in a row. McClellan swept every county in the district except for Colonial Heights City and Prince George County.
After winning the special election, McClellan was sworn in on March 7, 2023, becoming the first black congresswoman from the Commonwealth of Virginia.[34][35]
Predictions
edit| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[36] | Solid D | December 22, 2022 |
| Inside Elections[6] | Solid D | December 22, 2022 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[37] | Safe D | December 20, 2022 |
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jennifer McClellan | 82,040 | 74.41% | +9.49 | |
| Republican | Leon Benjamin | 28,083 | 25.47% | −9.43 | |
| Write-in | 129 | 0.12% | −0.06 | ||
| Total votes | 110,252 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By county and independent city
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Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Rep. Donald McEachin passes away at 61 after battle with colorectal cancer". CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR. November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ^ "Rep. Don McEachin dies". Cardinal News. November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ^ Ayo, Julius (December 12, 2022). "Gov. Youngkin announces special election for seat held by late Congressman Donald McEachin". WAVY-TV.
- ^ "Writ of Election" (PDF). Virginia Department of Elections. December 12, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ "VA-04 Democratic Committee Votes to Hold Firehouse Primary on Tuesday, December 20, 2022". VA Dems. Democratic Party of Virginia. December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
- ^ a b Rubashkin, Jacob (December 22, 2022). "Virginia 4 Special: McClellan Poised for History". Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
- ^ a b McIntire, Mary Ellen (December 19, 2022). "Democrats scramble in one-week primary for open Virginia seat". Roll Call. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ a b "Democratic firehouse primary results". VA Dems. Virginia Democratic Party. December 22, 2022.
- ^ Flynn, Meagan (December 22, 2022). "Jennifer McClellan wins Virginia 4th District primary for McEachin's seat". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Martz, Michael (December 12, 2022). "Youngkin sets Feb. 21 special election for 4th District seat". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ^ Mirshahi, Dean (December 13, 2022). "Sen. Joe Morrissey joins race for Virginia's 4th Congressional District seat". WRIC-TV. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
- ^ Flynn, Meagan; Vozzella, Laura (December 13, 2022). "State Sen. Jennifer McClellan seeks to fill McEachin's seat in Congress". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022.
- ^ Mirshahi, Dean (December 9, 2022). "Del. Lamont Bagby running for Virginia's 4th Congressional District seat". WRIC-TV. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
- ^ Mirshahi, Dean (December 15, 2022). "Del. Lamont Bagby drops out of 4th Congressional District race, backs McClellan". WRIC-TV. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
- ^ a b Lappas, Tom (November 29, 2022). "McEachin, a political giant in Central Virginia, dies at 61". Henrico Citizen. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ^ Atkinson, Bill (December 7, 2022). "Petersburg councilor considers run for late congressman's seat". The Progress-Index. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ a b Cain, Andrew; Martz, Michael. "Bagby, McQuinn, Stoney appear at 'unity' rally with McClellan". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ Mirshahi, Dean (December 12, 2022). "Del. Lamont Bagby announces run to fill late Rep. McEachin's congressional seat". WRIC-TV. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Flynn, Meagan; Vozzella, Laura; Schneider, Gregory S. (December 15, 2022). "Virginia Democrats are vying to win a congressional race in only 7 days". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
- ^ a b c Mirshahi, Dean (December 14, 2022). "Kaine endorses McClellan for Virginia's 4th Congressional District seat". WRIC-TV. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Lappas, Tom (December 13, 2022). "McClellan, Morrissey formally join Democratic race for 4th District Congressional seat". Henrico Citizen.
- ^ "Team McClellan Youth Phone Bank with Congressman-elect Maxwell Frost!". Mobilize. Jennifer McClellan for Congress. Archived from the original on December 18, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ Todd, Chuck; Murray, Mark; Kamisar, Ben; Bowman, Bridget; Marquez, Alexandra (December 20, 2022). "Trump was 'central cause' of Jan. 6, committee report says". NBC News. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "BREAKING: Del. Lamont Bagby Dropping Out of VA04 Democratic Nomination Race, Endorsing Jennifer McClellan". Blue Virginia. December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- ^ Murray, Delaney (December 17, 2022). "Colette McEachin officially endorses McClellan for Virginia's Fourth Congressional District". WRIC-TV.
- ^ "Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC Endorses Jennifer McClellan in VA-04 Special Election". Progressive Caucus. December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ "DMFI PAC endorses State Senator Jennifer McClellan in the Democratic primary in VA-04". DMFI PAC. December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ "EMILYs List Endorses State Sen. Jennifer McClellan for Congress". EMILY's List (Press release). December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ "Human Rights Campaign Endorses Virginia State Senator Jennifer McClellan for the U.S. House of Representatives". Human Rights Campaign (Press release). January 30, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ "Endorsements". League of Conservation Voters. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ "NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Virginia State Sen. Jennifer McClellan for U.S. Congress". NARAL Pro-Choice America (Press release). December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ a b Moomaw, Graham (December 14, 2022). "Virginia Republicans are using ranked-choice voting again. Democrats still aren't". Virginia Mercury. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- ^ Atkinson, Bill (December 8, 2022). "Former GOP congressional candidate will run in 4th District special election". The Progress-Index. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ^ Bazail-Eimil, Eric (February 22, 2023). "Jennifer McClellan Wins Virginia House Seat, Becoming State's First Black Woman in Congress". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
- ^ Duster, Chandelis (March 7, 2023). "Jennifer McClellan sworn in as first Black congresswoman to represent Virginia". CNN. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
- ^ Wasserman, Dave [@Redistrict] (December 22, 2022). "New: state Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D) wins #VA04 Dem nomination w/ 85%, poised to become first Black congresswoman from VA" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Coleman, J. Miles (December 20, 2022). "Notes on the State of North Carolina". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
- ^ "2023 February Special". Virginia Department of Elections. March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
External links
editCampaign websites