(CNN) Virginia state Sen. Ben Chafin Jr. has died after contracting Covid-19, according to a statement from his office. "State Senator Augustus Benton (Ben) Chafin, Jr., a native son of Russell County located in Southwest Virginia, passed away on January 1, 2021 from Covid-19 complications," the statement said. The Republican lawmaker's family thanked the VCU Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, for "its vigorous care and heartfelt support during his two weeks of medical services there." He was elected to the state's House of Delegates in 2013 before moving to the Senate in 2014. "He advocated jobs in his district, particularly in the coalfields where the decline of coal has devastated local economies," the statement said.

Source: CNN January 02, 2021 03:45 UTC