U.S. Rep Donald McEachin Dies Days After Reelection: Virginia Democrat Was 61

Allison Bailey/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Late U.S. Rep. Donald McEachin

Democratic Rep. Donald McEachin of Virginia died Monday after a nine-year battle with cancer. He was 61.

"We are all devastated at the passing of our boss and friend, Congressman Donald McEachin," Tara Rountree, his chief of staff, said in a statement. "Valiantly, for years now, we have watched him fight and triumph over the secondary effects of his colorectal cancer from 2013. Tonight, he lost that battle, and the people of Virginia's Fourth Congressional District lost a hero who always, always fought for them and put them first."

McEachin, who had served in Congress since 2017, was reelected earlier this month. He represented Virginia's 4th Congressional District, a left-leaning area which includes the state capital of Richmond.

A special election will be held to fill his now-vacant seat, Rountree told CNN.

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On Tuesday, President Joe Biden offered condolences to McEachin's family and said he "will always be grateful for his friendship, and his early and fierce support when I ran for President."

"Don was a fighter," the president said. "He fought for justice, for civil rights, and for communities that are often left behind. Thanks to Don's leadership and tireless advocacy, we passed historic legislation to combat the climate crisis and advance environmental justice."

Allison Bailey/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

During his time in Congress, McEachin was selected by his colleagues to serve as co-chair of the House Democratic Environmental Message Team, co-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus' Transportation, Infrastructure, Environment and Energy Policy Council, and vice chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), according to his House bio.

In his first term, McEachin co-founded the United for Climate and Environmental Justice Congressional Task Force and had continued to lead the task force as a co-chair until his death.

"Congressman Donald McEachin was a relentless advocate for his community, a dedicated colleague, and loving husband, father, and grandfather," Vice President Kamala Harris, who joined the Congressional Black Caucus the same year as McEachin, said in a statement Tuesday. "In Virginia's General Assembly and the United States Congress, he was tireless in the fight for justice."

The politician was also dedicated to his constituents' everyday needs. "We need to make sure we can deliver basic services to our district," he told reporters shortly after winning reelection this month.

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McEachin was the son of a schoolteacher and an Army veteran. He began his career as an attorney and then served in both chambers of Virginia's General Assembly.

Other colleagues mourned the leader on social media, including a fellow Virginia Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner.

"Up until the very end, Don McEachin was a fighter," Warner tweeted Monday. "Even though he battled cancer and faced other trials in recent years, he never lost his focus on social and environmental justice. Tonight, Virginia has lost a great leader and I have lost a great friend."

McEachin leaves behind his wife, Colette, and three grown children.