Virginia congressman dies from cancer

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, a nine-term Democrat representing Virginia’s 11th congressional district, has died, his family announced Wednesday morning.

Connolly was 75, and in April, he announced that his esophageal cancer had returned and that this would be his last term in Congress. He represented the city of Fairfax and most of Fairfax County, and before being elected to Congress in 2008, he served on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors from 1995 to 2009.

His family issued a statement Wednesday, saying that Connolly “passed away peacefully at his home this morning surrounded by family.

“Gerry lived his life to give back to others and make our community better. He looked out for the disadvantaged and voiceless,” the statement said. “He always stood up for what is right and just. He was a skilled statesman on the international stage, an accomplished legislator in Congress, a visionary executive on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, a fierce defender of democracy, an environmental champion, and a mentor to so many. But more important than his accomplishments in elected office, Gerry lived by the ethos of ‘bloom where you are planted.’ From the Silver Line to the Oakton Library, Mosaic District to the Cross County Trail and beyond, his legacy now colors our region.”

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner issued a statement after the announcement: “I’ve known Gerry for more than 35 years. To me, he exemplified the very best of public service. Just this past Sunday, I was honored to join his wife Smitty, daughter Caitlin, and the Fairfax community in celebrating his decades of service. While Gerry couldn’t be there in person, his presence was felt throughout the room. He was there in spirit, as he always is when people come together in the name of service and progress.”

Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement on X, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Congressman Gerry Connolly. His decades of public service reflect a deep commitment to Virginia. Suzanne and I send our heartfelt prayers to his family, friends and all who mourn his loss.”

On Tuesday, Connolly and U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, introduced the bipartisan Esophageal Cancer Awareness Act to commission a federal study on gaps in screening and prevention of esophageal cancer. Connolly announced last November that he had been diagnosed with the cancer.

In April, Connolly stepped back as ranking Democratic member of the House’s Oversight Committee after the return of his cancer. He assumed the role in January after an intraparty battle, and with the return of President Donald Trump to the White House, Connolly was outspoken in his criticism of layoffs of federal workers and the role of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, in gaining access to sensitive government information and firing civil servants.

In March, Connolly said that he had initiated more than 150 investigations and inquiries into DOGE’s activities as ranking member of the committee, which acts as a watchdog for federal government abuse, waste and fraud.

“We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to expose DOGE and stop its corrupt, dangerous and illegal wrongdoing,” Connolly said.

Earlier this month, The Washington Post reported that Connolly had endorsed his former chief of staff, Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw, in Walkinshaw’s bid for the Democratic nomination to succeed Connolly in Congress. State Sen. Stella Pekarsky also is running for the Democratic nomination in the deep blue congressional district.

A Boston native, Connolly considered becoming a priest but decided instead to devote himself to public service, working for nonprofit organizations and later as a U.S. Senate staffer. He later worked for SRI International as the R&D nonprofit’s vice president of economic policy, and as vice president of community relations for defense contractor SAIC.

According to the Post, Connolly was president of a neighborhood association in Fairfax County when 375,000 gallons of petroleum leaked from a storage facility in 1991 and put his neighborhood’s water supply at risk, along with other environmental harm. Connolly negotiated a settlement with the business, and he worked with the county to provide safe water to residents and for the fire department to run tests on the water later. After this crisis, he won his first election to the county board of supervisors.