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Virginia House elects first Jewish and female speaker

Eileen Filler-Corn, 55, has represented the Fairfax County suburbs of Washington, D.C., in the state chamber since 2010.

Eileen Filler-Corn was elected on Nov. 5, 2019, as both the first female and first Jewish Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. Source: Screenshot.
Eileen Filler-Corn was elected on Nov. 5, 2019, as both the first female and first Jewish Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. Source: Screenshot.

Virginians elected Eileen Filler-Corn as both the first Jewish and female Speaker of the state’s House of Delegates on Tuesday.

A Democrat, Filler-Corn, 55, has represented the Fairfax County suburbs of Washington, D.C., in the state chamber since 2010. She’s also the first speaker from northern Virginia in four decades.

The milestone added to what was a historic night for Filler-Corn’s fellow Democrats, who took control of both legislative bodies in the commonwealth and whose governor, Ralph Northam, is a Democrat.

Elsewhere, Democrat Andy Beshear defeated incumbent Republican Matt Bevin to become Kentucky’s governor, while Republican Tate Reeves defeated Democrat Jim Hood to become governor of Mississippi.

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