Rep. Donald McEachin, Virginia Democrat, died of cancer Monday night, his office stated on social media.
The congressman, whose district stretched from the Richmond area to Hampton Roads, was 61.
“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,” Chief of Staff Tara Rountree said in a statement posted on Twitter.
She said the family sought privacy and funeral arrangements will be made public later.
“Until a new representative is elected, our office will remain open and continue to serve our constituents,” Ms. Rountree said.
Mr. McEachin was elected to his fourth term just three weeks ago.
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“Up until the very end, Don McEachin was a fighter. 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,” Sen. Mark Warner, Virginia Democrat, said in a statement.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called her late colleague “a tireless champion for Virginia families and a force for economic opportunity and environmental justice.”
Rep. Gerry Connolly, Virginia Democrat, said he was “heartbroken to learn of Don McEachin’s passing.”
“There was no better ally to have. I will miss him terribly,” Mr. Connolly said.
Mr. McEachin was born on Oct. 10, 1961, in Nuremberg, Germany. His father was an Army veteran and his mother was a school teacher.
He graduated from St. Christopher’s School in Richmond in 1979, then earned a bachelor’s degree at American University in 1982 and a law degree at the University of Virginia in 1986. He earned a master of divinity degree at Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in 2008.
A lawyer in private practice during his career, he served in the House of Delegates from 1996-2002 and 2006-2008 and then the state Senate from 2008-2016. He was elected to his first term in the U.S. House in 2016.
Mr. McEachin and his wife Colette, a former commonwealth’s attorney for Richmond, had three children.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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