Gerry Connolly obit

Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly dies at 75

 

He was not o the list.

Washington — Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia died Wednesday, his family announced. He was 75 years old.

Connolly's death comes weeks after he announced that he would not seek reelection in 2026 and would be stepping back from his post as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee because his cancer had returned.

"It is with immense sadness that we share that our devoted and loving father, husband, brother, friend, and public servant, Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, passed away peacefully at his home this morning surrounded by family," Connolly's family announced in a statement.

He served as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 11th congressional district from 2009 until his death in 2025. A Democrat, he was first elected in 2008 to replace retiring Republican incumbent Tom Davis, who did not seek re-election and later resigned shortly after the election. The 11th district is situated in the suburbs of Northern Virginia. It is anchored in the affluent Fairfax County, where Connolly served on the county's board of supervisors before his election to Congress, and also includes the entirety of Fairfax City.

In April 2025, Connolly announced that he would not seek re-election in 2026 citing health concerns. He endorsed fellow Democrat James Walkinshaw, a Fairfax County Board Supervisor and his former chief of staff, in the 2026 Democratic primary to potentially succeed him in Congress. He died in office on May 21, 2025.

Connolly worked from 1979 to 1989 with the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, where he managed committee oversight of international economic issues, international narcotics control, and United Nations and Middle East policies, and published reports on U.S. policy in El Salvador, Central America, Israel, and the Persian Gulf region. From 1989 to 1997, he was Vice President of the Washington Office of SRI International. He was also Director of Community Relations for SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation).

In local politics, Connolly served on the Fairfax Government Reorganization Commission from 1992 to 1993. In 1995, he was elected Providence District Supervisor, serving for nine years.