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Articles by

Mel Leonor Barclay

Politics Reporter (She/Her)

I’m Mel Leonor Barclay, a politics reporter at The 19th. My work is fueled by curiosity about the forces that drive everyday people to become politically engaged and shape their political beliefs. So far at The 19th, I’ve reported on how gender, race, ethnicity, economic reality, immigration story and experiences with gun violence have shaped candidates’ decisions to run for office and voters’ decisions at the ballot box.

I got my start in journalism covering government and elections in localities around South Florida for the Miami Herald and the Naples Daily News. I moved to Washington, D.C., to cover Donald Trump’s presidential transition for Politico in 2016 and went on to cover education and labor policy for the outlet. As Trump’s first term was coming to an end, I took a job at the Richmond Times-Dispatch covering Virginia state politics, a tumultuous time that included several political scandals and the COVID-19 pandemic.

I’m an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, a forever Floridian and proud graduate of Florida International University. I live in Richmond, Virginia, with my husband and daughter. When I’m not reporting or feeding pricey blueberries to my insatiable toddler, you can find me covered in mud at the pottery studio.

My work is free to consume and free to republish because of contributions from readers like you. A donation of $19 goes a long way toward sustaining our nonprofit newsroom.

Contact [email protected]

Latest from Mel Leonor Barclay

Democratic women who made history in 2018 are stepping into leadership in 2022

A number of women from the class of 2018 are moving into increasingly powerful leadership positions and poised to exert more influence than ever before on the future of their party.

Grace Panetta, Mel Leonor Barclay · January 3, 2023
'A whole new perspective': Jennifer McClellan could become first Black woman to represent Virginia in U.S. House

The win in a February special election would represent a stunning first for the southern state and a boon for the ranks of Black women in the next Congress.

Mel Leonor Barclay · December 22, 2022
10 years after Sandy Hook, Moms Demand Action volunteers are turning activism into political power

Almost 300 Moms Demand Action volunteers ran for office this year. More than half will bring their gun control demands to the halls of power as elected officials.

Mel Leonor Barclay · December 14, 2022
Warnock projected to win Georgia Senate runoff, giving Democrats 51 seats

The party should be able to more easily deliver on the promise of a more diverse judiciary and executive branch. Plus, the nation’s first woman vice president won’t have to hang around Washington as much.

Mel Leonor Barclay · December 6, 2022
Millions of families face fertility challenges. A bipartisan House caucus aims to expand access to treatments.

The Democrat and Republican founders will try to find common ground on reproductive health policy amid concerns that GOP abortion policies will spill over into fertility treatment.

Mel Leonor Barclay · December 1, 2022
Using campaign funds for child care is legal — but Herschel Walker is using it as an attack

Republicans have tried to make Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock’s campaign expenses an issue, and advocates worry this could discourage parents of young children from running for office.

Mel Leonor Barclay · November 22, 2022
Latinas are poised to hit a new high in Congress — but not from the anticipated GOP 'red wave'

At least eight Democrat and four Republican Latinas are projected to win seats in the U.S. House, and more races are too close to call.

Mel Leonor Barclay · November 9, 2022

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