Democrat McClellan announces bid to be Virginia governor

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia state senator is launching a bid to be the state's next governor, which if successful would make her the nation's first African American woman to lead a state.

Sen. Jennifer McClellan announced Thursday that she's running for governor in 2021, saying she has the right skill set and track record to rebuild the state's economy, safety nets and communities amid a coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest over police violence and systematic racism.

In an interview with The Associated Press ahead of her formal announcement, she said she's a proven problem solve and a “compassionate listener” who will work to build a more inclusive state.

“I have the understanding of where we are in this moment in time, how we got here ... and the vision to take Virginia forward,” McClellan said.

McClellan is one of several Democrats either officially running or eyeing a possible campaign for their party's nomination to succeed Gov. Ralph Northam, who is barred by law from seeking re-election. They include former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, Attorney General Mark Herring and Del. Jennifer Carroll-Foy, who like McClellan is also a black woman.

If she were to win the 2021 contest, McClellan would be Virginia’s first woman governor, the first African American female governor in the United States and only the second woman ever elected to statewide office in Virginia.

McClellan said black women have been the “backbone” of this country while often being overlooked, but she's not interested in shattering glass ceilings for its own sake.

“I'm not running to make history, I am running to set Virginia on the course I think we need to go," she said.

The 47-year-old has served in the state legislature for more than 14 years, first as a...