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Angling to bring “hope” back into political discourse, Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, says she is “laying the groundwork” for a campaign for governor, with an announcement on her decision coming in April.

“I want to make sure we have a Virginia that is being a positive force for change that doesn’t leave anybody behind,” McClellan, 47, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch in an interview Friday — citing what she sees as “turmoil” at the federal level and an economy that is changing quickly due to technological advances.

“I want to make sure we as a commonwealth are adapting in a way that is solving people’s problems. I want to serve where I can best do that.”

McClellan, an established fixture within the Virginia legislature, long seen as a rising star within the party, has teased at her ambitions for statewide office for years — repeating the joke that “any politician who tells you they don’t want to be governor is a liar.”

McClellan, who served in the House of Delegates for 11 years until she became a senator in 2017, is a corporate attorney for Verizon. She has juggled the job with the seasonal demands of the legislature, being a mother to two young children, and higher political aspirations.