Jennifer McClellan Bio
Jennifer Leigh McClellan (born December 28, 1972) is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. representative for Virginia’s 4th congressional district. A member of the Democratic Party, she entered Congress in 2023 after more than fifteen years in the Virginia General Assembly. She is the first Black woman elected to Congress from Virginia and has built her career around voting rights, clean energy, and criminal justice reform.
Before winning her federal seat, McClellan served in the Virginia State Senate representing the 9th district from 2017 to 2023 and in the Virginia House of Delegates for the 71st district from 2006 to 2017. Earlier in her professional life, she worked as a practicing attorney and as regulatory counsel for a major communications company, giving her a background that bridged public service and private law practice.
Early Life and Background
Jennifer Leigh McClellan was born on December 28, 1972, in Petersburg, Virginia. She grew up in a household shaped by public service and activism. Her father, James Fennimore McClellan Jr., was a professor at Virginia State University, and her mother, Lois Dedeaux McClellan, worked as a counselor at the same institution. Both parents were involved in civil rights activism, an environment that influenced her early interest in law and policy.
McClellan attended Matoaca High School in Chesterfield County, where she graduated as valedictorian. After high school, she enrolled at the University of Richmond, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and political science in 1994. She then went on to receive her Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1997, completing the educational path that prepared her for a career in law and elected office.
Path to US Politics
After finishing law school, McClellan joined the law firm Hunton & Williams, where she began her legal practice. She later transitioned into the private sector as regulatory counsel for Verizon Communications, gaining experience in telecommunications and regulatory law. These early professional roles gave her a working knowledge of how statutes, agencies, and corporate compliance intersect in Virginia’s economy.
Her interest in public service deepened through party work. McClellan served as vice chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia, which automatically made her a member of the Democratic National Committee. In that role, she served as a superdelegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She was also active in the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, eventually serving as vice chair, and became the first pregnant Virginia delegate to participate in a legislative session.
Jennifer McClellan Career
Early Career (2005–2017)
McClellan first ran for office in 2005, seeking the Virginia House of Delegates seat vacated by Viola Baskerville. She won the election and from 2006 to 2017 represented the 71st district in the House of Delegates, an area that included parts of the city of Richmond and Henrico County. Her time in the House established her as a steady voice on pension policy, education funding, and civil rights.
During her House tenure, McClellan emerged as an outspoken critic of Governor Bob McDonnell’s 2012 effort to overhaul Virginia’s pension system. She opposed the proposed cuts to retirement benefits for teachers and public safety employees and argued that Republican lawmakers had rushed the legislation to limit scrutiny from Democrats and labor unions. The fight helped raise her profile in Richmond and across the state.
Virginia Senate Breakthrough (2017–2023)
On January 10, 2017, McClellan won a special election to the Virginia Senate for the 9th district, filling the seat vacated when Donald McEachin was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She defeated Libertarian Party nominee Corey Fauconier and drew endorsements from McEachin, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, and Governor Terry McAuliffe. Her seat had previously been held by former Governor Douglas Wilder.
Once in the Senate, McClellan became a leading legislative strategist on social policy. In 2019, she co-sponsored the Repeal Act, which sought to lift several of Virginia’s restrictions on abortion. In 2020, she introduced legislation to end the school-to-prison pipeline by training school resource officers in adolescent psychology. She also sponsored the Virginia Clean Economy Act and the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, both of which were signed into law, and she led the commissioning of the Emancipation and Freedom Monument, installed on Brown’s Island in September 2021.
2021 Gubernatorial Campaign (2020–2021)
In June 2020, McClellan announced her candidacy for governor of Virginia in the 2021 election. During a Democratic primary debate at Virginia State University, she framed her campaign as one designed to grow the party’s base, saying she had spent 31 years building the party and electing Democrats at the local, state, and national level. The race drew national attention as one of the most diverse gubernatorial fields in Virginia history.
Former Governor Terry McAuliffe, whose transition team McClellan had led when he was first elected in 2013, won the Democratic nomination. Former state delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy finished second, and McClellan placed a close third. McAuliffe went on to narrowly lose the general election to Republican Glenn Youngkin. Had McClellan or Carroll Foy won the primary, the victor would have become Virginia’s first female governor, the second Black governor after Douglas Wilder, and the first Black female governor in the United States.
U.S. House Era (2023–Present)
McClellan became the Democratic nominee in the 2023 special election for Virginia’s 4th congressional district after the seat was vacated by the death of incumbent Donald McEachin from colorectal cancer on November 28, 2022. She won a firehouse primary on December 20, 2022, and then defeated Republican pastor Leon Benjamin in the general election on February 21, 2023, with 74.4 percent of the vote. She was sworn in on March 7, 2023, becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress from Virginia.
Notable Events and Milestones
McClellan’s career has been defined by several signature moments, including her role in passing the Voting Rights Act of Virginia and the Virginia Clean Economy Act, and her leadership of the Emancipation and Freedom Monument project on Brown’s Island. She is also widely recognized for her 2021 gubernatorial primary, which positioned her as a serious contender for the state’s highest office and brought renewed attention to representation in Virginia politics.
Jennifer McClellan Family
Family Background and Public Service Lineage
McClellan was raised in Petersburg, Virginia, by parents deeply rooted in education and civil rights activism. Her father, James Fennimore McClellan Jr., served as a professor at Virginia State University, and her mother, Lois Dedeaux McClellan, worked as a counselor at the same institution. Their involvement in civil rights activism shaped the household and influenced her decision to pursue law and public service.
Personal Life
McClellan married David Mills on November 15, 2008, in a ceremony officiated by her mentor, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine. The couple lives in Richmond, Virginia, and they have two children. She is a Presbyterian, a faith tradition that has remained part of her public life alongside her political career.