The 2021 race for governor of Virginia is beginning to heat up as several candidates have lined up to replace Gov. Ralph Northam.
In an announcement released Thursday (June 18), Democratic State Sen. Jennifer McClellan announced her bid for the office and could become the first African-American woman governor of the state and in the nation.
McClellan, 47, is one of two Black women who have announced candidacies for the 2021 election, joining Democratic delegate Jennifer Caroll Foy in the race, who announced her candidacy late last month.
Virginia’s first African-American governor was Doug Wilder, who served from 1990 to 1994.
Although currently a state senator, McClellan also served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2006 to 2017.
