Congratulations, Congresswoman
3/14/2024, 6 p.m.
March is Women’s History Month, and on this week’s front page, we feature the energetic Rep. Jennifer L. McClellan, who recently marked her one-year anniversary as the first Black woman elected to Congress from Virginia.
Her accomplishments are so vast that we ran out of space to publish a companion article that details her move from the state legislature to Congress. So, what’s it been like?
Rep. McClellan compares leaving Richmond for Washington to going from the minors to Major League.
“I was in the state legislature for 18 years, so it’s similar, but different,” she said in a recent interview. “It’s like bigger and smaller than I expected all at the same time.”
Rep. McClellan’s constituency has grown to 750,000 people in more than 15 localities representing Virginia’s 4th District from four localities and 250,000 people. She also went from being one of 40 state senators to one of 435 members of the House.
That’s a huge adjustment, but one that the freshman congresswoman has handled with aplomb. Stay tuned for next week’s Free Press to learn how Rep. McClellan balances her work at home and in the Halls of Congress.
