Virginia Rep. McEachin dies at 61 after cancer battle

1 / 3

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

FILE - U.S. Rep. Don McEachin D-4th. waves during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe in Richmond, Va., Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. McEachin died Monday, Nov. 28, 2022, after a battle with colorectal cancer, his office said. He was 61. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

WASHINGTON ā€“ U.S. Rep. A. Donald McEachin, D-Va., died Monday after a battle with colorectal cancer, his office said. He was 61.

Tara Rountree, McEachin's chief of staff, said in a statement late Monday: ā€œValiantly, 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.ā€

Recommended Videos



McEachin represented Virginia's 4th Congressional District, which includes part of Richmond and extends south to the North Carolina border. He was reelected to a fourth term earlier this month.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called her late colleague ā€œa tireless champion for Virginia families and a force for economic opportunity and environmental justice.ā€

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., released a statement saying: ā€œUp until the very end, Don 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.ā€

Rep. Gerry Connelly, D-Va., called McEachin an ā€œenvironmentalist, civil rights advocate, faithful public servant, and a man of consequence. There was no better ally to have.ā€

Aston Donald McEachin was born Oct. 10, 1961, in Nuremberg, Germany. His father was an Army veteran and his mother a school teacher.

He graduated from St. Christopherā€™s School in Richmond in 1979, then earned a bachelorā€™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 to the U.S. House in 2016.

McEachin and his wife, Richmond Commonwealthā€™s Attorney Colette McEachin, raised three children, Mac, Briana and Alexandra.


Loading...

Recommended Videos