Meet the Candidates: Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D) running for reelection in the 4th District

RICHMOND, Va. — With early voting underway, and Election Day just six weeks away, it's time to meet the candidates.

Each of the major candidates in Virginia's US Senate race and the three Congressional races in the WTVR viewing area have been invited on the CBS 6 News at 7:30 PM with Bill Fitzgerald to talk about their priorities.

Rep. Jennifer McClellan, a Democrat running for reelection in Virginia's 4th Congressional District, joined Bill on Tuesday and said bringing down prices is her primary goal should Democrats take back control of Congress.

"There are two things that Congress can do, and with a Democratic majority, I'll be able to help do," said McClellan. "One is we can end this tariff war that makes absolutely no sense. Two-thirds of the crude oil that comes into the US comes from Canada, and the president started a trade war with Canada for no good reason. We need to end the war on Iran. That is what sparked the skyrocketing gas prices to begin with, with no clear endgame. We have passed legislation that would have stopped the war on Iran. A war powers resolution now at least 3 times in the House, and we need to make sure that we are ending that war."

Bringing down health care costs and expanding insurance coverage for those who were recently dropped by Republican-led cuts contained in the "One Big Beautiful Bill" are what McClellan says are additional priorities.

"[With the majority], we will reinstate the enhanced premium tax credits under the ACA so that we can help people afford their premiums again," McClellan said. "We can reverse the Medicaid cuts before the worst of them take effect this January. The Republicans couldn't repeal the Affordable Care Act, so they're trying to give it a death by a thousand cuts."

As far as the growth of data centers in the Commonwealth, McClellan said that Virginia first has to deal with ones that are already here.

"Make sure that they are paying for the cost, the energy costs for the energy that they consume, and not passing those costs on everybody else," she said. "The grid is not ready for all of the data centers already in existence. And so let's make sure that as new infrastructure is built, that consumers and small businesses aren't paying those costs. We need to make sure if new data centers do come in, that the local governments that site them are coordinating with the state and federal officials who understand the impact they could have on the grid and on the environment. Most importantly, though, the whole conversation about whether a data center should come or not should be transparent and should have community buy-in from the beginning, and not so far down the line that it's too late for them to have a meaningful input."

McClellan also indicated that voters should expect a more assertive Congress should Democrats take back the majority.

"I support Congress doing its job as a check on the executive branch and doing its oversight responsibilities. My number one priority, though, is addressing the needs of the American people, making sure that we are tackling this cost of living crisis," said McClellan. "But if there are reasons to investigate, whether it's corruption— and this is the most corrupt administration in American history— whether it is making sure that they are staying within the bounds of their congressional authority, and they're actually spending money that Congress appropriates, then the oversight committees will handle that. And I will support those investigations. And we'll see where those investigations land."

CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.