fbpx

Virginia House will have its First Female and First Jewish Speaker

[additional-authors]
November 10, 2019
Democrat Eileen Filler-Corn of Fairfax County rides the elevator down from her office in the Pocahontas Building in Richmond, Virginia on Tuesday, December 18, 2018. (Julia Rendleman for the Washington Post)

(JTA) — The Virginia House of Delegates will have its first female and first Jewish speaker.

The current minority leader, Democrat Eileen Filler-Corn, 55, of Fairfax County, Virginia, was chosen as speaker by the House’s incoming Democrats on Saturday. She has served in the state General Assembly since 2010.

She said in a statement that she is “humbled and honored” to have been chosen speaker by her colleagues.

“The firsts are not lost one me – the first woman and the first Jewish person elected Speaker-designee in our 400-year legislative history – but it doesn’t define me. When I joined this body less than 10 years ago, I was the only mom serving with school-aged kids. We have come so far since then. We have the most diverse House Caucus in our history, which includes cultural, gender and geographic diversity. It also means a diversity of experience and perspectives on issues that affect Virginians, in all regions,” she said in the statement.

Democrats won a majority in the Virginia State house on Tuesday. It is the first time in 20 years that Democrats will be the majority, The Associated Press reported.

Filler-Corn is on the board of directors of the Washington region’s American Jewish Committee. Until Saturday she had been serving as leader of the Virginia House Democratic Caucus.

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

Difficult Choices

Jews have always believed in the importance of higher education. Today, with the rise in antisemitism across many college campuses, Jewish high school seniors are facing difficult choices.

All Aboard the Lifeboat

These are excruciating times for Israel, and for the Jewish people.  It is so tempting to succumb to despair. That is why we must keep our eyes open and revel in any blessing we can find.  

More news and opinions than at a
Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.