Youngkin sets September special election to replace Connolly
- Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin set a special election for September 9, 2025, to fill the House seat left vacant by Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly in the 11th District centered on Fairfax.
- The upcoming election is being held to fill the seat left vacant by Connolly’s death in May due to a cancer recurrence, occurring shortly after he revealed he planned to retire and not run in the 2026 midterms; his passing marks one of three House Democrat vacancies this year.
- A crowded field of Democrats, including Fairfax Supervisor James Walkinshaw, State Senator Stella Pekarsky, State Delegate Irene Shin, and others, are seeking to succeed Connolly in this safely blue suburban district.
- Walkinshaw, who received Connolly’s endorsement prior to his passing, is supported by Rep. Don Beyer and various state legislators, while the Republican candidates include a former FBI agent and a banking executive.
- With Democrats heavily favored due to the district's solid blue status and past election margins, the Sept. 9 election sets a swift timeline with a July 11 filing deadline to complete Connolly's term.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Special election set to fill seat after Virginia Congressman’s death
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A special election will be held in early September to allow voters in the Fairfax area to fill the Congressional seat left vacant after the death of Rep. Gerry Connolly (VA-11). Connolly died on May 21 after battling cancer in his esophagus for a second time. He had previously announced he would not seek reelection in 2026 after that cancer returned. Prior to his death, Connolly served constituents across both Fairfax Cou…
Special Election Set for House Seat of Late Rep. Connolly of Virginia
WASHINGTON—A special election will be held Sept. 9 for the U.S. House seat in Virginia vacated by the late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who died last month at age 75. Connolly, who died May 21, was first elected to the House in 2008 and served for eight terms representing the state’s 11th Congressional District, which covers the Washington, D.C., suburbs of Fairfax County, Reston, and parts of McLean. At the time of his death, Connolly was the r…
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