Claudrena Harold, a professor of African American History at the University of Virginia, counts the victory of Davis-Younger as part of recent trend of Black women being elected to powerful positions in different levels of government. “Without question, she stands on the shoulders of millions of African-American women who have worked to deepen the wells of democracy,” she said. “Her election underscores the changing demographics of not just Northern Virginia [which just four years ago was GOP-dominated] but the larger nation.”