Democrat James Walkinshaw won the Virginia Special Election on September 9th, filling Gerald Connolly’s late seat.
Democrat Jerry Connolly dies after fighting esophageal cancer
Rep. Jerry Connolly, 75, died after his battle with esophageal cancer and was remembered by his family for his advocacy, defence of democracy and serving in Congress.
Scripps News
WASHINGTON – Democrat James Walkinshaw won the Virginia Special Election on September 9th, filling Gerald Connolly’s late seat and narrowing the Republican margin in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Walkinshaw, Connolly’s Chief of Staff and Fairfax County supervisor, defeated Republican Stewart Whitson, a former FBI special agent and US Army combat veteran. Walkinshaw currently represents Virginia’s deep blue 11th Congressional District, which covers much of Fairfax County, outside Washington, DC.
Walkinshaw’s victory means Democrats currently hold 213 seats in their home, while Republicans hold 219 seats. House Speaker Mike Johnson faced difficulties gaining laws across the finish line with a majority of the razor-thin GOPs. Johnson can afford to lose two Republican votes on a particular bill if all Democrats oppose it.
Connolly passed away in May at the age of 75 after announcing that esophageal cancer had returned. Last December he secured a place to become a ranking member of the House Committee on Surveillance and Government Reform. He defeated Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat from the Progressive Fire brand, in this position. California Democrat Rep. Robert Garcia has since become a minority ranking member on the committee.
Connolly is the third House Democrat to die since the start of the 119th Congress in January. Silvestar Turner of Texas and Rep. Raul Griarba of Arizona passed away within 10 days of each other in March.
Walkinshaw announced a Congressional bid in May after Connolly said he would not seek reelection in 2026.
“This is a five-alarm fire moment for democracy. Step 1 to stop Trump has secured a big victory for Virginia Democrat Ticket in 2025, and Step 2 is reclaiming Congress in 2026,” Walkinshaw said at the time.
