WASHINGTON — Editor's Note: The video above was published on March 10, 2022.
The Virginia House of Delegates voted Wednesday to remove Minority Leader Eileen Filler-Corn, who previously also served as the commonwealth's first female Speaker of the House.
Filler-Corn took to Twitter to respond to the vote, thanking the House of Delegates for allowing her to serve as Speaker. She called the role the honor of her life.
"I am proud of all that we accomplished after taking the majority in 2019 and was willing to step up as Minority Leader once more to regain that majority," said Filler-Corn on Twitter. "Our caucus is made up of 48 talented and diverse individuals and I look forward to working with them to retake the majority."
In 2019, Filler-Corn became the first woman and first Jewish Speaker of the House.
Filler-Corn, who represents part of Fairfax County, was first elected in 2010. A strong fundraiser, she led the Democratic caucus during the national scandal and party strife that exploded after the 2019 discovery of a racist photo on former Gov. Ralph Northam's medical school yearbook. She helped the party flip control of the House and Senate later that year and took over the speakership in 2020.
As the caucus filed out of their closed-door meeting Wednesday, nearly every member declined to comment. No one offered comment on why Filler-Corn was removed, and caucus staff did not immediately provide a vote count.
Del. Eileen Filler-Corn and Del. Charniele Herring are the first women nominated as Speaker and Majority Leader in the Virginia House of Delegates. (Nov. 12, 2019)