Gerry Connolly, Democrat Representing Northern Virginia in Congress, Dies

WASHINGTON — Rep. Gerry Connolly, a native of Boston who spent most of his adult life in Virginia politics, ultimately becoming the long-time representative of the state’s 11th Congressional District, died Wednesday morning.

According to a statement released by his family, Connolly, who had been battling esophageal cancer, died “peacefully at his home this morning surrounded by family.”

First elected to Congress in 2008, Connolly scored an overwhelming reelection victory this past November, after he defeated a primary challenger, attorney Ahsan Nasar, receiving 85.64% of the vote, and then went on to defeat his Republican challenger, Mike Van Meter, with 66.68% of the vote.

It was shortly after the election that Connolly disclosed he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer after experiencing pain in his stomach. At the time he said he planned to undergo chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

In April, the congressman announced his cancer had returned and that he would be retiring at the end of his term.

On May 7, he endorsed fellow Democrat James Walkinshaw, a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors who had been his former chief of staff, in the primary planned for next year to choose his replacement.

“This is not a moment for on-the-job training. We need a strong representative, experienced in addressing national issues that affect our community, who can stand up to Trump and lead from day one,” Connolly said in an open letter to his constituents. “I believe James Walkinshaw is that leader.”

Shortly after Connolly’s endorsement of Walkinshaw , state Sen. Stella Pekarsky also entered the race.

Gerald Edward Connolly was born in Boston on March 30, 1950, to a father who was an insurance salesman and a mother who was a nurse.

After a family move, he graduated from Venard High School in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, and he went on to earn a degree in literature from Maryknoll College in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, before earning a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School.

Upon his graduation, Connolly went to work for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, where he spent the next decade assisting in the committee’s oversight of, among other things, international economic issues and Middle East policy.

He then worked in the private sector while launching a career in local government. He was elected to the county Board of Supervisors in 1995. 

In 2003, Connolly was elected chairman of that board, a position he held until his election to Congress.

In its statement, Connolly’s family said he “lived his life to give back to others and make our community better. 

“He looked out for the disadvantaged and voiceless. He always stood up for what is right and just,” his family said. “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,’ the statement said.

“We were fortunate to share Gerry with Northern Virginia for nearly 40 years because that was his joy, his purpose, and his passion. His absence will leave a hole in our hearts, but we are proud that his life’s work will endure for future generations,” his family added.

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