Virginia Rep. McEachin dies at 61 after cancer battle

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. A. Donald McEachin, D-Va., died Monday after a battle with colorectal cancer, his office said. Tara Rountree, McEachin’s chief of staff, said in a statement late Monday: “Valiantly, for years now, we have watched him fight and triumph over the secondary effects of his colorectal cancer from 2013. Tonight, he lost that battle.” McEachin represented Virginia’s 4th Congressional District, which includes part of Richmond and extends south to the North Carolina border. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called her late colleague “a tireless champion for Virginia families and a force for economic opportunity and environmental justice.” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., released a statement saying: “Up until the very end, Don was a fighter. Tonight, Virginia has lost a great leader and I have lost a great friend.” Rep. Gerry Connelly, D-Va., called McEachin an “environmentalist, civil rights advocate, faithful public servant, and a man of consequence.