Public Service
Her historic win
My journey would have been very different if I had not attended UR.
Jennifer McClellan, ’94, made history in February by becoming Virginia’s first Black woman in Congress. She won a special election in February to fill the seat of Donald McEachin, who died after the November election.
McClellan represents Virginia’s sprawling 4th District, which includes all or parts of 15 localities stretching from the Richmond area to the North Carolina border. She serves on the House Armed Services and Science, Space, and Technology committees.
In a story for UR Now, McClellan traced her journey in politics to her campus days as a political science and English major. “A lot of what I learned about government and politics I learned there,” she said.
One event stood out: The 1992 presidential debate hosted by the university. It featured George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and H. Ross Perot, who all debated in the Robins Center for a national audience. McClellan, who had worked with the Clinton advance team, sat next to Hillary Clinton at a debate watch party.
“I met anybody who was anybody in Virginia politics that night,” McClellan said. “It’s safe to say my journey would have been very different if I had not attended UR.”
She said the experience taught her an important lesson that sticks with her today. “You never know who’s watching. Always be prepared,” she said. “And be prepared for whatever opportunity comes your way, first by recognizing it and then taking advantage of it. You never know when an opportunity is going to present itself, and that’s been true my entire adult life.”