RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – Democratic U.S. Rep. Donald McEachin defeated Republican Leon Benjamin in Virginia’s 4th Congressional District race to win a fourth term in Congress, according to the Associated Press.
McEachin, a Richmond native and former Virginia state lawmaker, faced off against Benjamin for a second straight election. In a statement, McEachin thanked voters for having confidence in him during his re-election bid.
“Even as we wait and watch for results around the Commonwealth and the country, I will already be working and moving forward so this next term continues to make a real, significant, and positive difference in constituents’ lives and our communities,” McEachin said.
Like the rest of the country, Virginia had to redraw its political boundaries using new census data. The Virginia Supreme Court finalized the state’s redistricting process last December, reconfiguring the Commonwealth’s 11 congressional districts for the 2022 midterms.
The city of Richmond still has the largest share of voters in the 4th Congressional District, but the new boundaries moved west to include Brunswick County.
The AP called the race for McEachin at 9:04 p.m. All election results are unofficial until they are certified by the State Board of Elections.
