Virginia governor sets Sept. 9 special election to fill the late Rep. Connolly's seat

Mary Ellen McIntire, CQ-Roll Call on Jun 3, 2025

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WASHINGTON —The special election to complete the late Democratic Rep. Gerald E. Connolly’s term will be held on Sept. 9, Virginia’s Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Tuesday.

Youngkin’s announcement sets off a just over three-month sprint to succeed Connolly, who died last month weeks after announcing that his esophageal cancer had returned. Connolly was in his ninth term representing Virginia’s 11th District, a safely blue suburban seat centered on the city of Fairfax, outside Washington.

The filing deadline for the September election is July 11.

Several Democrats have already announced bids for the seat. Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw, a former Connolly chief of staff, landed an endorsement from his former boss after Connolly said he would not run for reelection. Other declared Democratic candidates include state Sen. Stella Pekarsky; Fairfax County Planning Commissioner Candice Bennett; attorney Amy Roma; former Democratic National Committee member Leopoldo Martínez, a former Venezuelan state legislator; and retired Navy officer Josh Aisen. Virginia state Del. Irene Shin announced her campaign Tuesday morning.

On the Republican side, Navy veteran Mike Van Meter, who lost to Connolly by 34 points in 2024, is running again, while banking executive Nathan Headrick has also filed for the seat.

It is so far unclear how the party nominees will be chosen for the Sept. 11 special election. The last time Virginia had a special election for an open House seat — after the death of Richmond-area Democratic Rep. A. Donald McEachin — Democrats held a party-run contest, also known as a “firehouse” primary, to pick their nominee for the safely blue seat.

The Democratic nominee will be heavily favored to succeed Connolly in the 11th District, which backed Kamala Harris for president last year by 34 points, according to calculations by The Downballot.

There are currently three vacancies in the House, where Republicans have a razor-thin majority. Special elections will be held later this year to fill the seats left open by the deaths of Democratic Reps. Sylvester Turner of Texas and Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona.

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