Andria McClellan announces run for lieutenant governor

Norfolk City Councilmember Andria McClellan announced today that she is formally entering the race for the Democratic Party lieutenant governor nomination.

“The last four years have seeded a divide in our country and in our Commonwealth,” said McClellan, who has served as a member of Norfolk City Council since 2016. “Every day more families in Virginia are hurting from the physical, emotional and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationally, we are on a new path to bring our country together and rebuild our economy in a way that works for everyone, not just a select few.

“That same hope for opportunity for all must be a top priority in Virginia,” McClellan said. “We need a Virginia that provides access to opportunity for everyone — no matter the color of your skin, your zip code, who you love or how you identify. This is why I am running to be the next lieutenant governor of Virginia.”

McClellan, a 1991 University of Virginia alum, served as the vice chair for finance for the Democratic Party of Virginia from 2014-2015 and is a founding board member of the Democratic Business Alliance of South Hampton Roads.

She currently serves as the chair of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission and chairs its Coastal Resilience Subcommittee. Andria is also vice chair of the Hampton Roads Transit District Commission and chairs its Smart Cities & Innovation committee.  She also serves as vice chair of the Southside Network Authority, the governmental body that is leading the five-city regional broadband internet ring.

From 2018-2019, Andria co-chaired the Norfolk Mayor’s Commission on Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation, creating the region’s first ever Climate Action Plan. She was also recently appointed to the National League of Cities 2020 Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources federal advocacy committee.

McClellan serves as the national co-chair of the Climate Working Group for The NewDEAL, along with Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, and she was recently appointed as a citizen member to the Virginia Joint Subcommittee on Coastal Flooding.

McClellan had launched an exploratory campaign earlier this year, and her PAC, Access for Virginia, reported a strong fundraising quarter in the third quarter of 2020, bringing in more than $130,000, with more than 61 percent of her donors giving $100 or less.

For more information on Access for Virginia, visit www.accessforvirginia.com.