Jennifer McClellan

At-a-Glance

U.S. Representative for Virginia's 4th congressional district since 2023.
First Black woman elected to Congress from Virginia.
Served in the Virginia State Senate from 2017 to 2023 and the Virginia House of Delegates from 2009 to 2017.
Former regulatory counsel for Verizon Communications.
Earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1997.
Served as vice chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia.

Biography

Jennifer Leigh McClellan is an American politician and attorney who has served as the U.S. Representative for Virginia's 4th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she made history as the first Black woman elected to Congress from Virginia.

Born in Petersburg, Virginia, on December 28, 1972, McClellan's parents, James Fennimore McClellan Jr. and Lois Dedeaux McClellan, were involved in civil rights activism.