4th Congressional District
The 4th Congressional District stretches from Richmond to Hampton Roads, including parts of Chesapeake and Suffolk, and was redrawn in the last four years to make it heavily Democratic.
Donald McEachin, a former attorney, was first elected to the seat in 2016 and has held on to the seat by wide margins. He faces off against a Republican pastor from Richmond.
The Virginian-Pilot asked each candidate to tell voters about themselves and what they’d do if elected. We’ll have stories on the congressional races coming soon, but for now, here are the candidates in their own words.
Donald McEachin
Age: 58
Occupation: Congressman, former attorney Previous office held if any: U.S. House of Representatives (2017-present); Virginia Senate (2008-17); Virginia House of Delegates (1996-2002, 2006-08) Education: political science, American University; J.D., University of Virginia School of Law; Master of Divinity, Virginia Union University
How do you plan to respond to the COVID economic crisis moving forward?
The economic crisis and the public health crisis go hand in hand. We need to ensure sufficient testing, we need to ensure we have a vaccine that people can trust and we need to move forward on therapeutics. At the same time, Americans need help. We need to extend unemployment, provide additional loans for small businesses so they can pay employees, we need to suspend evictions, we need to provide access to quality health care and we need to provide adequate essentials such as food for those who are struggling.
How would you deal with a Trump second term or Biden administration? I will continue to work diligently to serve my constituents, to make sure we are assisting them during this pandemic. We need to ensure everyone has access to affordable quality health care and reasonably priced prescriptions. My job will continue to be to advocate legislation that helps my constituents, from reducing the corrupting influence of money in politics, to creating jobs, to ensuring strong public schools to reforming our criminal justice system. I want to ensure everyone has equal opportunity, fairness and justice regardless of skin color, religion, sexual orientation, age or sex. What is a key issue facing your district specifically? My constituents are suffering under this pandemic. They worry about infection, they worry about family and friends’ health. But they are also worried about their jobs, their ability to pay the rent, to feed their families, to keep the lights and soon the heat on. They worry whether they are getting accurate honest science-based information from the government and whether they can act on those recommendations. They worry about their children’s education, but at the same time, the safety and efficacy of returning children to in person learning. They need support in all those areas and they need to have access to public health, science-based facts.
Leon Benjamin Age:
Occupation:
52
Senior pastor and bishop of New Life Harvest Church, Richmond
Previous office held if any: none
Education: Biblical studies, master’s degree, Christian education, Rovear University
How do you plan to respond to the COVID economic crisis moving forward?
We have learned a lot about COVID-19 since the first cases were reported. We have to do what is necessary to protect our vulnerable population, like wearing a mask, washing our hands and when available getting the vaccine shot. Congress must continue their mission to protect employment and American businesses. Congress should allocate additional funds for the paycheck protection program, make improvements to the Employee Retention Credit and make a second round of stimulus checks available to eligible Americans. These are ways congress can ease the hardship that millions of Americans are still facing from the COVID-19 pandemic. How would you deal with a Trump second term or Biden administration? Any person in this country must be able to accept the peaceful transfer of power and work together as Americans and stand united to bring solutions to our cities across this nation. I feel that whoever wins, whether Trump for a second term or Biden, we should come together as a people and work together to bring peace and love and unity so as to experience the prosperity that this nation has given us already in past administrations.
What is a key issue facing your district specifically?
The key issue facing our district specifically has a two-pronged factor. One is that COVID-19 has caused many institutions to be impacted like small businesses, educational institutions and families who have had to adjust to the COVID-19 guidelines. The other side is the dangers our communities now face because of the unrest and riots coupled with the idea of defunding the police. Our police stations have been under attack and my opponent has not helped the situation by refusing to call out the political leaders in the district for allowing this to continue.