Virginia's Former First Lady To Run For Congress In Newly Drawn District

RICHMOND, Va. — There could beryllium different McAuliffe representing Virginia soon.

Dorothy McAuliffe — nan erstwhile first lady, onetime authorities section charismatic and woman of then-Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe — said Wednesday that she will tally for Congress, putting a salient sanction into nan operation for a recently drawn district.

“We request a leader who has a grounds of delivering and tin yet bring down costs for families, who will summation entree to affordable healthcare, and who will ne'er backmost down from holding Donald Trump and ICE accountable,” McAuliffe said successful a statement.

Virginia voters are weighing a law amendment that would create a caller legislature representation connected April 21.

If nan representation is approved, McAuliffe would run to correspond nan sprawling 7th District, which stretches from Arlington to occidental Augusta County. Most of nan district’s voters would unrecorded conscionable extracurricular Washington, D.C., and it’s 1 of 4 caller districts that are intended to favour Democrats.

“I look guardant to walking this territory — from Arlington to Augusta and Prince William to Powhatan — and sharing that imagination for this organization that I’ve agelong called home,” she said.

An lawyer and mother of five, McAuliffe was Virginia’s first woman from 2014 to 2018. During that time, she pushed for puerility nutrition programs and helped tackle a backlog of untested rape kits successful nan state.

In 2017, nan erstwhile first woman weighed challenging erstwhile Republican U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock, though opted against a bid. She became nan U.S. State Department’s typical typical for world partnerships successful 2022 nether President Joe Biden’s administration.

McAuliffe is entering a crowded primary. Last month, four-term Virginia Del. Dan Helmer and erstwhile national charismatic J.P. Cooney, who served arsenic a lawman to typical counsel Jack Smith and was fired by Trump, launched campaigns successful nan district. State Del. Elizabeth Guzman, who was elected nan first Latina migrant successful nan General Assembly, besides said she was weighing a run.

McAuliffe and different candidates would person an opportunity to alteration their plans if nan redistricting effort is not approved aliases is thrown retired by nan authorities Supreme Court.

Diaz writes for nan Associated Press.