The Winner

If you live in Virginia’s 4th Congressional District, Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) will keep representing you after winning a second full term. The Associated Press called the race for McClellan at 8:33 p.m. Eastern time on election night, Tuesday, Nov. 3. ​

McClellan has 224,283 votes (72.2%) to 81,262 (26.2%) for Republican Robert Murray Jr.), a margin of about 46 points, with an estimated 98% of votes counted, according to Associated Press election results. She returns to a House where Democrats will hold the majority.

The Race

Murray, who billed himself as a neighbor and advocate rather than a politician, and independent Joan Bell, an anti-abortion activist who took 1.3%, rounded out the ballot, according to the Virginia Mercury’s voter guide. Both parties’ primaries were canceled, and although voters approved a redistricting amendment in April, a court order blocked certification of that vote, so the race ran on the existing map, according to Ballotpedia’s race page. Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rated the race Solid Democratic, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Safe Democratic.

McClellan’s margin widened by about 11 points from 2024, when she beat Republican Bill Moher 67.3% to 32.4%. She first won the seat in a 2023 special election.

The district stretches from Greater Richmond, including Petersburg, Hopewell and Colonial Heights, through a large part of Southside Virginia, according to VPM News. About 796,300 people live there, and no group forms a majority: residents are 42.8% white, 41.5% Black, 10.4% Hispanic and 2.1% Asian.

The median household income is $70,800, and the median age is 37. Of adults, 33% hold at least a bachelor’s degree, unemployment is 5.5% and 13.5% of residents live below the poverty line.

What’s Next

McClellan’s new term begins Sunday, Jan. 3. She serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its energy and communications subcommittees, according to her AllCiv committee page, and Democrats will chair the committee in the new majority.

On election night, McClellan said reversing Medicaid cuts and restoring the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits would be her first priorities, along with lowering costs for families, VPM News reported.

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