WASHINGTON

Legislation to rename the post office in Gloucester in honor of the late Rep. Jo Ann S. Davis gained unanimous approval Wednesday in the House of Representatives.

Davis, a Republican who represented the state's 1st Congressional District from January 2001 until her death in October, was a Gloucester resident. Her death, at age 57, came after a long battle with breast cancer.

Davis, a conservative with an independent streak, was best known for her advocacy on behalf of shipbuilding and her district's large population of federal employees.

Her district, now represented by Republican Rob Wittman, stretches from the Peninsula north and west to Washington's outer suburbs.

Dale Eisman, (703) 913-9872, dale.eisman@pilotonline.com