Donald McEachin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's4th district | |
| In office January 3, 2017 – November 28, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Randy Forbes |
| Succeeded by | Jennifer McClellan |
| Member of theVirginia Senate from the9th district | |
| In office January 9, 2008 – January 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Benjamin Lambert |
| Succeeded by | Jennifer McClellan |
| Member of theVirginia House of Delegates from the74th district | |
| In office January 11, 2006 – January 9, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Floyd Miles |
| Succeeded by | Joe Morrissey |
| In office January 10, 1996 – January 9, 2002 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Ball |
| Succeeded by | Floyd Miles |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Aston Donald McEachin (1961-10-10)October 10, 1961 Nuremberg,Bavaria,West Germany (nowGermany) |
| Died | November 28, 2022(2022-11-28) (aged 61) Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mount Calvary Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | |
Aston Donald McEachin (/məˈkiːtʃən/mə-KEE-chən; October 10, 1961 – November 28, 2022) was an American politician and lawyer who served as theU.S. representative forVirginia's 4th congressional district from 2017 until his death in 2022.[1] His district was based in the state capital,Richmond; it included much of the area between Richmond, a portion of itssuburbs, andHampton Roads.
A member of theDemocratic Party, McEachin served in theVirginia House of Delegates from 1996 until 2002 and then served an additional term from 2006 until 2008.[2] In 2001, he was the Democratic nominee in theVirginia Attorney General election, which he lost toJerry Kilgore. McEachin subsequently served in theSenate of Virginia from 2008 until 2017, representing the9th district, made up ofCharles City County, plus parts ofHenrico County and thecity of Richmond.[update] He was first elected to representVirginia's 4th congressional district in 2016, filling an open seat vacated byRandy Forbes.[3]
McEachin was the first African American nominated by a major party for Virginia Attorney General. He was the third African American elected to Congress from Virginia and the second elected from the state since the 19th century.[4]
McEachin was born inNuremberg,West Germany, while his father was serving in theUnited States Army. He attendedSt. Christopher's School in Richmond. In 1982, he received a bachelor's degree in political history fromAmerican University. After that, he attended theUniversity of Virginia School of Law, where he received aJ.D. in 1986. He also received aMaster of Divinity fromVirginia Union University in 2008.[2] In 2012, he was awardedhonoris causa membership inOmicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society.[citation needed]
McEachin began to practice law in Richmond after completing law school, eventually becoming a partner in his own firm, McEachin and Gee.[5]
McEachin was first elected to the House of Delegates from the 74th district in 1995. After three terms there, he ran in the2001 Virginia Attorney General election. He won a four-way Democratic primary with 33.6% of the vote,[6] but lost the general election toRepublican nomineeJerry Kilgore by 20 percentage points.[7]
In 2005 he ran again for the 74th House district, defeating his predecessor, Floyd Miles, by 44 votes in the Democratic primary,[8] and winning the general election with 75% of the vote.[9]
In 2007, McEachin ran for the state senate, challenging 9th district incumbentBenjamin Lambert, who drew criticism within the Democratic Party for his endorsement of Republican U.S. SenatorGeorge Allen in Allen's unsuccessful 2006 reelection campaign againstJim Webb.[10] After defeating Lambert 58%-42% in the primary,[11] McEachin won 81% of the vote againstindependent Silver Persinger in the general election.[12]
McEachin was unopposed for reelection in 2011.[13]
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Midway through his third term in the state senate, McEachin got an opportunity to transfer to federal politics. A federal court threw out Virginia's original congressional map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. A new map saw all ofPetersburg and most of the majority-black precincts inHenrico County shifted from the 3rd district to the 4th district. The 4th also picked up all of Richmond, which had previously been split between the 3rd and 7th districts. The 4th had been represented by RepublicanRandy Forbes since a 2001 special election, but the addition of these majority-black areas turned the 4th from a Republican-leaning swing district into a heavily Democratic district. Rather than face certain defeat in the redrawn 4th, Forbes made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination in the neighboring 2nd district. McEachin, whose then-home in unincorporated Henrico County lay just outside the redrawn 4th's boundaries, defeatedChesapeake City Councilwoman Ella Ward for the Democratic nomination. He then handily defeated Republican Henrico County Sheriff Mike Wade in the general election. He was reelected three times with no substantive opposition.
McEachin was a member of the following committees and subcommittees during the117th Congress:[14]
McEachin voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the117th Congress, according to aFiveThirtyEight analysis.[17]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Donald McEachin | 200,136 | 57.7 | |
| Republican | Mike Wade | 145,731 | 42.0 | |
| Total votes | 346,656 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Donald McEachin (incumbent) | 187,642 | 62.6 | |
| Republican | Ryan McAdams | 107,706 | 35.9 | |
| Total votes | 299,854 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Donald McEachin (incumbent) | 240,510 | 61.6 | |
| Republican | Leon Benjamin | 149,481 | 38.3 | |
| Total votes | 389,991 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Donald McEachin (incumbent) | 159,044 | 65.0 | |
| Republican | Leon Benjamin | 85,503 | 35.0 | |
| Write-in | 431 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 245,046 | 100.00 | ||
In 2018, McEachin revealed that he had developed afistula after completing treatment forcolorectal cancer in 2014, losing more than 60 pounds (27 kg) as a result.[21] He advocated regular testing for colon cancer/colorectal cancer, telling attendees at a 2022 special screening of the filmBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever (a sequel toBlack Panther, whose star,Chadwick Boseman, died of colon cancer), "Don't fool around. Don't go through my journey", two weeks before his death.[22]
McEachin died at his home in Richmond of complications of cancer on November 28, 2022, at the age of 61.[23][24] His death came a few weeks after his reelection to a fourth term in the2022 elections. Tributes to McEachin were paid by outgoingSpeaker of the HouseNancy Pelosi, as well as fellow Virginia Democratic representativeGerry Connolly and both of Virginia's U.S. Senators,Mark Warner andTim Kaine (who had known McEachin since 1984).[25][26] McEachin was succeeded byJennifer McClellan, a fellow Democrat who held McEachin's former state senate seat, in aspecial election on February 21, 2023.[27]
McEachin is buried in the Mount Calvary Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.[28]
McEachin and his wife, Colette, had three children and lived in Richmond.[5] In 2019, Colette McEachin became interimCommonwealth's Attorney forRichmond (having served in that office for 20 years),[29] won the Democratic nomination on August 10,[30] and was unopposed in the special election on November 5.[31]
On August 25, 2015, McEachin's name was found on the userlist leaked from thedata breach of theAshley Madison website.[32] His response was, "At this time, this is a personal issue between my family and me. I will have no further statement on this issue."[33]
| Virginia House of Delegates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Robert Ball | Member of theVirginia House of Delegates from the 74th district 1996–2002 | Succeeded by Floyd Miles |
| Preceded by Floyd Miles | Member of theVirginia House of Delegates from the 74th district 2006–2008 | Succeeded by |
| Senate of Virginia | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theVirginia Senate from the9th district 2008–2017 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's 4th congressional district 2017–2022 | Succeeded by |
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's 4th congressional district | ||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
