RICHMOND
Virginia Sen. A. Donald McEachin (D-9) filed paperwork this week to run for Congress in the 4th District, the seat currently held by Rep. Randy Forbes (R). Forbes announced Feb. 8 that he was leaving the district to run for Congress in the 2nd District, looking to replace retiring Rep. Scott Rigell.

“As I said all along, I’m very interested in the fourth congressional seat, but right now, I’m busy doing the people’s business here at the General Assembly,” McEachin told the Washington Post. “I will have a lot more to say about Congress right after we adjourn.”

Messages left by The Tidewater News with McEachin’s office were not returned this week.

Forbes announced his decision shortly after a federal court ruled that the current congressional map unconstitutionally packs black voters into the 3rd District, forcing the Virginia General Assembly to redraw the congressional boundaries with information obtained from the census. This is done where necessary to achieve a balance for minority candidates and voters, which makes the new 4th District increasingly African American and Democratic.

The current 4th District under Forbes includes the cities of Franklin, Suffolk, Chesapeake and Emporia, as well as the counties of Isle of Wight, Southampton and Sussex. In the redrawn map, the district will see significant changes in the localities of which they represent, as the City of Franklin and Isle of Wight County are among several who would find themselves in the 3rd District, while Southampton County would remain in the 4th.