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Donald McEachin, a Democratic Representative from Virginia, was pronounced dead by his office on Monday.
McEachin was 61 when he died.
The announcement
According to Tara Rountree, McEachin’s chief of staff, the Virginia Democrat has battled cancer since 2013.
“Valiantly for years now, we have watched him fight and triumph over the secondary effects of his colorectal cancer from 2013,” said Rountree.
“Tonight, he lost that battle.”
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Reelection
Donald McEachin won reelection earlier this month after defeating Republican opposition figure Leon Benjamin.
The Democrat, whose constituency is based in the state capital of Richmond, won 64% of the vote.
Additionally, McEachin was first elected to Congress in 2016 after services in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates.
“We don’t do this for glory or fame,” the Democrat said on election night in early November.
“We do this because we like service.”
Donald McEachin was one of 213 Democrats elected to the next Congress to 220 Republicans.
However, two races are yet to be defined.
Special elections will decide McEachin’s replacement in the heavily Democratic district.
Furthermore, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, has not yet set a date for the special election.
Cancer discussion
Donald McEachin opened up about his battle with cancer during a screening of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” two weeks ago.
“I can’t stress to you enough the importance of early detection,” said McEachin.
“I know many of you have watched my journey, and I’ve had a number of health issues.”
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Tributes
Aston Donald McEachin was born in Nuremberg, Germany, on October 10, 1961.
McEachin’s father served in the military.
In his adulthood, Donald McEachin was a lawyer who graduated from the University of Virginia Law School.
In addition, he received his Master of Divinity from Virginia Union University.
Many paid their respects as news of Donald McEachin’s death began to spread.
Senator Mark Warner wrote a tribute to McEachin on Twitter, saying:
“Up until the very end, Don McEachin was a fighter. Even though he battled cancer and faced trials in recent years, he never lost focus on social and environmental justice.”
“Tonight, Virginia has lost a great leader and I have lost a great friend.”
Meanwhile, Senator Tim Kaine reminisced about his connection to McEachin.
“I met Donald McEachin in 1985 and we became fast friends,” he wrote in a statement.
“He was a gentle giant, a compassionate champion for underdogs, a climate warrior, a Christian example, an understanding dad, a proud husband, a loyal brother.”
McEachin’s congressional colleague from Virginia, Gerry Connolly, joined the tribute, describing him as “a noble friend, husband and father.”
“There was no better ally to have,” said Connolly. “I will miss him terribly.”
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