McClellan, Jennifer L.

Jennifer McClellan represents Virginia's 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Born in Petersburg, Virginia, in 1972, she earned a B.A. in English and political science from the University of Richmond and a J.D. from the University of Virginia. She began her career as an attorney at the law firm Hunton & Williams before joining Verizon as assistant general counsel. McClellan served nearly two decades in Virginia state government, first in the House of Delegates from 2006 to 2017, where she passed over 370 pieces of legislation, and then in the State Senate from 2017 to 2023. She was elected to Congress in a special election in February 2023 and sworn in on March 7, 2023, making her the first Black woman elected to Congress from Virginia.

In the House, McClellan serves on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, with assignments to the Communications and Technology and Energy subcommittees. Her legislative work focuses on technology infrastructure, clean energy, and public health. She has sponsored the AI-Ready Networks Act and co-sponsored legislation on maternal vaccination awareness and equity. Throughout her career, she has championed progressive causes including voting rights, climate change initiatives, criminal justice reform, reproductive health protections, and efforts to address the school-to-prison pipeline.

McClellan has established herself as a legislative champion for her constituents in the greater Richmond area. In 2021, she ran in the Democratic primary for governor of Virginia but finished third. She has served as vice chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia and was a superdelegate to the Democratic National Conventions. Her legislative accomplishments include helping pass the Virginia Voting Rights Act and the Virginia Clean Economy Act, both signed into law during her state service.