The new Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates is a New Jersey native who began her political career working on a campaign to oust Rep. Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton) in 1986.
Eileen Filler-Corn grew up in West Windsor, and after graduating Ithaca College, returned to New Jersey to work on Democrat Jeff Laurenti’s congressional campaign in the 4th district.
After Smith defeated Laurenti with 61% of the vote to win his fourth term, Filler-Corm wound up in Washington anyway – as a student at American University Law School.
She got a job working on Capitol Hill a few years later. Filler-Corn lost her first bid for the Virginia legislature in 1999 and later worked for two governors. She ran for the House again in 2010 and won by 37 votes.
Currently the Minority Leader, Filler will become the first woman to serve as Virginia House Speaker.
Democrats won control of the Virginia legislature this week.
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