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Del. Jeff Bourne will not be running for reelection to the House and is not running for McClellan’s seat
Del. Jeff Bourne (D-Richmond) says he will not be running for reelection to the House of Delegates later this year. He was also a rumored candidate to replace Jennifer McClellan in the state Senate if she wins the special VA-04 congressional election on Tuesday, but Bourne says he will not be running for that seat either.
For Bourne, it boils down to spending time with his family. He said his son recently set a goal to win the spelling bee at school and that he was there and able to witness it. He wants to make sure he does not want to miss any of those types of moments.
This is a common sentiment among legislators with families. The General Assembly is a part-time legislature, but during the few months they are in session, legislators often are working 12-hour days, five days a week. This is all on top of a full-time job.
Additionally, Bourne was placed within the same House boundaries as two of his Democratic colleagues during the redistricting process in 2021. He was paired with Dels. Betsy Carr (D) and Dawn Adams (D). He says this had no bearing on his decision not to run, however.
Bourne was elected to the House by a special election in 2017 to replace McClellan. Prior to being in the House, Bourne served on the Richmond City School Board for four years
“Jeff is the epitome is the citizen-legislator. He remained committed to his values and his constituents throughout his time in the General Assembly,” said Jay Jones, a former member of the House of Delegates who resigned prior to his first son being born last year. “I was proud to stand with him to reform our school resource officer system, repeal qualified immunity, and so many other consequential pieces of legislation to make our Commonwealth better. He’s an in incredible individual who has become a brother to me and I’m incredibly proud of all that he’s accomplished in Richmond. He will be missed by many in the Capitol. While his service now takes a different form, he will remain a strong voice for those left behind and forgotten.”
