According to a Washington Post article published Monday night, Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy (D-Woodbridge) will step down from her seat in the Virginia General Assembly on Friday in order to focus on her bid to become Virginia’s next governor.

According to sources close to Carroll Foy, she notified colleagues of her intentions on Monday with two sources telling the Washington Post that she intends to resign and will make an official announcement on Tuesday via video.

The move would better equip Carroll Foy to raise money during the 2021 legislative session, which is expected to last between 30 and 46 days, the Post reported.

Carroll Foy is currently one of three declared candidates in Virginia’s Gubernatorial Democratic Primary race alongside Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax (D) and State Senator Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond). Former Governor Terry McCauliffe is also mulling a potential run, and Delegate Lee Carter (D-Manassas) has also expressed interest in a potential candidacy.

Carroll Foy’s resignation is likely to result in a special election ahead of next month’s General Assembly legislative session. At this time, no one has expressed interest in running for her soon-to-be-vacant seat in next year’s November general election.

Governor Ralph Northam is expected to issue a writ of special election in order to fill the vacancy in House District 2.

The 2021 legislative session is expected to be one of the Commonwealth’s most historically significant and progressive sessions with marijuana legalization and criminal justice reform (two issues that Carroll Foy has focused on heavily during her tenure) at the forefront.

Democrats currently hold a 10-seat majority in the House of Delegates, and Carroll Foy won her seat by large margins in 2017 and 2019. House District 2 is a swing district, and both parties are likely to make an effort to win the seat given the district’s history of electing both Democrats and Republicans. All 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates will be up for grabs next November.

If elected, Carroll Foy would be the first Black woman to serve as governor in the nation.