Youngkin not ready to decide on filling vacancy after death

RICHMOND — Governor Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday said he had not yet decided when to call a special election to fill the vacancy left by Representative A. Donald McEachin, whose death Monday night came as surprise despite the Virginia Democrat’s long struggle with cancer and the aftereffects of cancer treatment.

McEachin, who was 61, had represented Virginia’s Fourth District, which stretches from Richmond to the North Carolina line, since 2017.

Before that, he had served nine years as a state senator and eight as a delegate.

On Tuesday, a spokesman for McEachin said the exact cause of death was still unclear but referred back to a statement the office released late Monday night noting McEachin’s battle with “secondary effects of his colorectal cancer from 2013.’’ The spokesman, Shahid Ahmed, described the congressman’s death as very sudden and unexpected. (Obituary, C9)

Under state law, the governor calls a special election to fill the vacancy when a member of the House of Representative dies or resigns. The law does not specify how soon the governor must act.

Youngkin on Tuesday did not provide a timeline for when the decision would be made, noting he would consult with others about selecting a date. Praising McEachin as “an extraordinary public servant” who fought “a very tough battle with cancer,’’ the governor said it was too soon to pivot to plans for replacing him.

“And it’s a moment for us to pray for his family and remember the tremendous contributions that he made,’’ Youngkin said at a gathering with reporters after a ribbon-cutting for 66 Express Lanes, according to a transcript provided by his office. “We will make decisions with regards to the special election. Today, we’re really focused on remembering the great contributions he made.’’

“There are folks that I’m going to want to listen to as to the best time in order to call this,’’ he added. ‘’I want to make sure that Virginians are represented.’’

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Youngkin ordered flags be flown at half-staff in McEachin’s memory, as did the White House.