Dinwiddle County

Virginia’s 4th district includes 12 counties and parts of Chesterfield County, Henrico County, and Southampton County. With a population of 790,811 this district leans Democratic.

This election will be held on November 8, 2022. Incumbent Congressman and attorney Donald McEachin (D), who has held the District 4 seat since 2017, is running against Leon Benjamin (R), a Richmond pastor and Gulf War veteran who is the current GOP chair of the Richmond Republican Party.

Democratic Representative Donald McEachin was first elected to Virginia’s Fourth District seat in 2016. Before running for Congress, he served in both the Virginia State House of Delegates and the Virginia State Senate. McEachin is a Regional Whip, as well as Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus. He is a lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, the NAACP, and the Virginia State Bar. He is married to Collette McEachin, who serves as Commonwealth Attorney for the City of Richmond.

McEachin sits on several environmental committees, including the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the House Committee on Natural Resources, the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, the Black Caucus’ Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force, and the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. He also co-founded the United for Climate and Environmental Justice Congressional Task Force. He criticized the Supreme Court’s opinion that rolled back EPA authority, and was honored by the Choose Clean Water Coaltion.

A longtime supporter of the Affordable Care Act, McEachin pushes for expanding affordable healthcare, which he considers a human right. He supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act and spoke out against attempts at repealing the Affordable Care Act. He voted in support of both the Inflation Reduction Act and the American Rescue Plan. Along with members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, he introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus to help address the Black maternal health crisis.

In 2020, NARAL Pro-Choice America gave McEachin a score of 100% for his voting record on reproductive freedom and abortion access. He voted in favor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, as well as the Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act. McEachin spoke out against the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe V. Wade and denounced Senate Republicans who blocked the Women’s Health Protection Act. He is a cosponsor of the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022.

McEachin introduced the Firearm Owners Responsibility and Safety Act, calling the gun violence epidemic a public health crisis. To combat gun violence in Richmond, he secured almost $1 million for Virginia Commonwealth University’s RVA Gun Violence Prevention Framework. He believes in limiting access to firearms and implementing red-flag laws.He voted in favor of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, and the Protecting Our Kids Act.

McEachin’s opponent is Leon Benjamin (R), a retired Navy veteran and pastor. He is a proud supporter of former President Trump, and engages in anti-LGBTQ and racist rhetoric. He opposes abortion and promotes disinformation. In 2010, Benjamin urged the U.S. Congress not to repeal the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. He also questions the results of the 2020 presidential election. Benjamin ran against McEachin in the 2020 race, losing with less than 40% of the vote.

Due to his extensive service to constituents in his district and commitment to progressive values, Congressman Donald McEachin is the most progressive candidate for Virginia’s 4th Congressional District.