Eileen Filler-Corn
First woman, first Jewish delegate to hold this position
(Richmond)—The House Democratic Caucus elected Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn on Saturday, Dec. 8 to serve as Leader for the 2019 General Assembly session and state legislative elections. The Caucus held the election after Leader David Toscano announced that he will resign from leadership as of December 31, 2018. In a show of unity, the Caucus voted to elect the new Leader by acclamation.
Delegate Filler-Corn is the first Jewish woman to be elected to this post in Virginia and is the longest serving Jewish woman in the Virginia House of Delegates. She is a member of Congregation Adat Reyim in Springfield, where she is a former board member. She also served on the boards of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington and the Virginia Israeli Advisory Board. Filler-Corn currently serves on the boards of the American Jewish Committee and the Jewish Foundation of Group Homes.
Delegate Filler-Corn has represented the 41st District since 2010. Upon being elected Leader, she said, “It is an incredible honor to serve as Leader of the House Democratic Caucus, and I want to thank my colleagues for their faith in me, as well as Delegate Toscano for his years of service as Leader. I know firsthand the value of strong Democratic leadership and constituent service. I served in the House throughout our entire struggle to pass Medicaid expansion, and with our tremendous freshman delegation, we finally achieved it this year. What we do in the General Assembly matters to every Virginian across the Commonwealth, and I am committed to standing up for good legislation and strong Democratic candidates.”
“Delegate Filler-Corn has shown tremendous leadership in her roles within the Caucus, including as co-chair of the Safe Virginia Initiative. I know she will work tirelessly for the Caucus, and Commonwealth, as House Democratic Leader,” says Delegate Toscano.
The House Democratic Leader serves as the public face of the Caucus, guiding policy development, legislative negotiations, and fundraising. The Leader works closely with the Caucus’s robust leadership team, representing the diversity in regions, viewpoints, and personal backgrounds across the Commonwealth.
“Under the leadership of Delegate Filler-Corn, we believe our message of inclusivity will resonate with Virginians, and voters will elect a Democratic majority to the House of Delegates,” says Trevor Southerland, executive director of the Virginia House Democratic Caucus.