COLUMBUS (WCMH) – A longtime Democratic District 3 representative is going back to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Incumbent Joyce Beatty is projected to win her race against Republican Mark Richardson, according to the Associated Press.

Beatty spent Tuesday afternoon at a get out the vote event with Doug Emhoff, the husband of vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris, and other Democratic leaders. She said as the results came in, she would be watching from home due to public health and safety reasons.

Beatty, first elected to Congress in 2012, is a close ally to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and an officer in the Congressional Black caucus. She heads the diversity subcommittee in the House and has been a staunch critic of the Trump administration on health care and the White House’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Being elected to her fourth term, Beatty was asked why she feels her message resonates so strongly with voters and she said simply because she listens.

She added that all politics are local and Columbus is her home and she’s proud of what she’s accomplished here and she fights for funds to come back to her district.

With all she hopes to accomplish in regards to social reform and other issues, Beatty said the number one issue remains COVID-19.

“Right here in our own community today, we had record breaking numbers,” she said. “So we have to have a great plan for COVID-19 which helps us have a plan for jobs, for the economy and for education.”

Richardson, a Navy veteran and banker, campaigned on bringing more manufacturing jobs to Ohio. The political newcomer opposed Obamacare and called Beatty a “partisan operative” and promised to bring more bipartisanship to the House.

District 3 includes portions of Franklin County.