Connolly legacy looms in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District race
The impact of the late Rep Gerry Connolly who fought on behalf of federal workers for years in Congress is still being felt in the th District of Northern Virginia Virginia stories Democratic Republican nominees set for special voting process in Connolly s former district James Walkinshaw wins Democratic contest to likely replace US Rep Connolly in northern Virginia New poll shows Spanberger with -point lead over Earle-Sears Connolly s former chief of staff Fairfax Supervisor James Walkinshaw will be the heavy favorite to win a Sept special electoral process to replace Connolly Walkinshaw won the Democratic nomination over the weekend with close to of the vote in a field that included candidates He will face Stewart Whitson an Army veteran and former FBI official who won the Republican nomination The firehouse primaries were hurriedly organized after Connolly died in May at the age of following a battle with esophageal cancer The real work begins now and I m ready to fight with everything I ve got Walkinshaw declared in a announcement after his primary accomplishment He pledged to carry Gerry s legacy forward and thanked his family for their encouragement District hit hard by federal layoffs Connolly served for years in Congress building a reputation as a lawmaker who advocated tirelessly for federal workers and contractors Until he became ill Connolly served as the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee a high-profile position where he often sparred with Republicans over President Donald Trump s policies The th District has a large base of federal employees and a great number of have lost their jobs due to Department of Regime Efficiency cuts backed by the president Walkinshaw vows to carry on the legacy of his former boss and the other Democratic candidates also campaigned on pledges to battle Trump administration policies Whitson explained in a declaration after he won the GOP nomination that he plans to fight to advance the president s America first agenda Whitson has been a strong supporter of DOGE efforts to root out fraud and waste in federal spending District remains very blue Virginia has undergone major political changes since Connolly first came to Congress in But while numerous districts have turned purple the th District has remained reliably blue Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris won the district over Trump by more than points Still Democrats have been struggling to find their political footing as the president has rolled out a steady stream of executive orders affecting federal workers In choosing Walkinshaw Democrats are indicating they believe his experience in D C will help them effectively battle Trump policies that have upended federal agencies Walkinshaw was endorsed by Rep Don Beyer and former Rep Jennifer Wexton two Virginia lawmakers who have also been advocates for federal employees While Whitson faces long odds against flipping the seat the voting in September will be closely watched ahead of the midterms Democrats hope to show energized voters in Virginia as they prepare to try to flip the Republican-controlled House The last time Republicans won the seat was in which was the last term of former Rep Tom Davis who retired in That was the year Connolly was first elected to the House Source
