2025 Virginia's 11th congressional district special election
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A special election to determine the member of the United States House of Representatives for Virginia's 11th congressional district will be held on September 9, 2025. The seat became vacant following the death of Democrat Gerry Connolly on May 21, 2025.
Background
[edit]Incumbent representative Gerry Connolly died of esophageal cancer on May 21, 2025.[1] Connolly had previously announced that he would not seek re-election in 2026.[2] He was first elected in 2008, and had announced his cancer diagnosis shortly after being re-elected in 2024.[3] In the United States, vacancies in the House must be filled by special elections. Under Virginia law, the governor schedules the special election and political parties handle their nominating processes themselves. Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin called a special election to be held on September 9, 2025. The deadline for candidates to file a candidacy was July 11, 2025.[4]
Based primarily in Fairfax County, this suburban district is widely regarded by political analysts to be a safely Democratic seat. The last time a Republican was elected here was in 2006, when Tom Davis was re‑elected. As of 2025, the seat has remained under Democratic control ever since.[5]
Democratic primary
[edit]Campaign
[edit]Opponents of James Walkinshaw, including Stella Pekarsky and Irene Shin, have alleged that the primary election was biased in favor of Walkinshaw, pointing to the short timeline for the election and the party's choice not to use ranked-choice voting in the primary.[6] Pekarsky, Shin, and other candidates have expressed frustration with delays in the party releasing voting locations and other information. Other candidates have shared concerns that party volunteers have publicly displayed a preference for Walkinshaw while working on behalf of the party.[7]
Fairfax County Democratic Committee chair Aaron Yohai denied Shin and Pekarsky’s claims, blaming Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin for scheduling the election so soon, which he said caused the delays in information.[8] Walkinshaw told Virginia Scope the complaints were candidates "trying to work the refs."[9]
On June 24, Connolly's social media accounts posted messages of support for Walkinshaw, causing shock and controversy on social media.[10]
Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- James Walkinshaw, Fairfax County supervisor (2019–present) and former chief of staff to Gerry Connolly[11]
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Candice Bennett, member of the Fairfax County Planning Commission (2020–present)[12]
- Ross William Branstetter IV, businessman[13]
- Dan Lee, healthcare technology entrepreneur[14]
- Leopoldo Martínez Nucete, former senior counselor of the Minority Business Development Agency (2024–2025) and former deputy to the National Assembly of Venezuela (2000–2005)[15]
- Amy Papanu, former CIA operations officer and national security expert[16]
- Stella Pekarsky, state senator from the 36th district (2024–present)[17]
- Priya Punnoose, psychiatrist[18]
- Amy Roma, energy policy lawyer[19]
- Irene Shin, state delegate from the 8th district (2022–present)[14]
Declined
[edit]- Jennifer Boysko, state senator from the 38th district (2019–present) and candidate for Virginia's 10th congressional district in 2024 (endorsed Walkinshaw and Shin)[20]
- Steve Descano, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney (2020–present) (endorsed Walkinshaw)[21]
- Eileen Filler-Corn, former Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (2020–2022) from the 41st district (2010–2024) and candidate for Virginia's 10th congressional district in 2024 (endorsed Walkinshaw)[22]
- Dan Helmer, state delegate from the 10th district (2020–present) and candidate for Virginia's 10th congressional district in 2018 and 2024[23]
- Dave Marsden, state senator from the 35th district (2010–present) (endorsed Walkinshaw)[24]
- Jeff McKay, chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (2020–present) (endorsed Walkinshaw)[25]
- Saddam Azlan Salim, state senator from the 37th district (2024–present) (endorsed Pekarsky)[26]
Endorsements
[edit]Candice Bennett
- Local officials
- Alyia Gaskins, mayor of Alexandria (2025–present)[27]
Stella Pekarsky
- State legislators
- Louise Lucas, president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate (2020–present) from the 18th district (1992–present)[28]
- Holly Seibold, state delegate from the 12th district (2023–present)[28]
- Scott Surovell, majority leader of the Virginia Senate (2024–present) from the 34th district (2016–present)[24]
Irene Shin
- U.S. senators
- Andy Kim, U.S. senator from New Jersey (2024–present)[29]
- U.S. representatives
- Judy Chu, U.S. representative from California's 28th congressional district (2009–present)[30]
- State legislators
- Ghazala Hashmi, state senator from the 15th district (2020–present) and Democratic nominee in the 2025 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election[31]
- Organizations
- Individuals
- David Hogg, former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (2025)[33]
James Walkinshaw
- U.S. representatives
- Don Beyer, U.S. representative from Virginia's 8th congressional district (2015–present)[34]
- Gerry Connolly, former U.S. representative from Virginia's 11th congressional district (2009–2025) (deceased)[35]
- Eugene Vindman, U.S. representative from Virginia's 7th congressional district (2025–present)[36]
- Jennifer Wexton, former U.S. representative from Virginia's 10th congressional district (2019–2025)[28]
- Statewide officials
- Terry McAuliffe, former Governor of Virginia (2014–2018)[37]
- State legislators
- Jennifer Boysko, state senator from the 38th district (2019–present)[20]
- David Bulova, state delegate from the 11th district (2006–present)[28]
- Eileen Filler-Corn, former Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (2020–2022) from the 41st district (2010–2024)[22]
- Dave Marsden, state senator from the 35th district (2010–present)[24]
- Briana Sewell, state delegate from the 25th district (2022–present)[28]
- Rip Sullivan, state delegate from the 6th district (2024–present)[28]
- Vivian Watts, state delegate from the 39th district (1996–present)[38]
- County officials
- Walter Alcorn, Fairfax County supervisor from the Hunter Mill district (2020–present)[25]
- Jimmy Bierman, Fairfax County supervisor from the Dranesville district (2024–present)[25]
- Steve Descano, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney (2020–present)[21]
- Andres Jimenez, Fairfax County supervisor from the Mason district (2024–present)[25]
- Rodney Lusk, Fairfax County supervisor from the Franconia district (2020–present)[25]
- Jeff McKay, chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (2020–present)[25]
- Dalia Palchik, Fairfax County supervisor from the Providence district (2020–present) and former member of the Fairfax County Public School Board[25]
- Kathy Smith, Fairfax County supervisor from the Sully district (2016–present)[25]
- Dan Storck, Fairfax County supervisor from the Mount Vernon district (2016–present)[25]
Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Joshua Aisen |
Candice Bennett |
Dan Lee |
Leopoldo Martínez Nucete |
Stella Pekarsky |
Amy Roma |
Irene Shin |
James Walkinshaw |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Research Partners (D)[39][A] | June 5–9, 2025 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 8% | 1% | 6% | 41% | 36% |
Debates and forums
[edit]| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
||||||||||||||
| Bennett | Branstetter | Lee | Martinez | Papanu | Pekarsky | Punnoose | Roma | Shin | Walkinshaw | |||||
| 1 | June 24, 2025 | WinDem[40] | Suhas Subramanyam | [41] | P | A | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P |
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James Walkinshaw | 22,403 | 59.64% | |
| Democratic | Irene Shin | 5,368 | 14.29% | |
| Democratic | Stella Pekarsky | 5,043 | 13.43% | |
| Democratic | Amy Roma | 2,697 | 7.18% | |
| Democratic | Dan Lee | 710 | 1.89% | |
| Democratic | Leopoldo Martínez Nucete | 498 | 1.33% | |
| Democratic | Amy Papanu | 396 | 1.05% | |
| Democratic | Priya Punnoose | 232 | 0.62% | |
| Democratic | Candice Bennett | 190 | 0.51% | |
| Democratic | Ross William Branstetter IV | 25 | 0.07% | |
| Total votes | 37,562 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
[edit]The Republicans held a canvass to determine their nominee on June 28 at Fairfax High School.[43]
Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- Stewart Whitson, government relations professional[44]
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Nathan Headrick, banking executive[45]
- Karina Lipsman, systems engineer and nominee for Virginia's 8th congressional district in 2022[46]
- Arthur Purves, president of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance[47]
- Lucas Rand, hospital administrator[48]
- Mike Van Meter, behavioral therapist and nominee for this district in 2024[49]
- Sam Wong, U.S. Army veteran[50]
Debates and forums
[edit]| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
|||||||||||
| Headrick | Lipsman | Purves | Rand | Van Meter | Whitson | Wong | |||||
| 1 | June 22, 2025 | WMAL-FM[51] | Vince Coglianese | [52] | A | P | A | P | P | P | P |
| 2 | June 23, 2025 | WMAL-FM[53] | Larry O'Connor | [54] | A | P | P | P | P | P | P |
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Stewart Whitson | 1,019 | 39.18% | |
| Republican | Karina Lipsman | 620 | 23.84% | |
| Republican | Mike Van Meter | 586 | 22.53% | |
| Republican | Lucas Rand | 198 | 7.61% | |
| Republican | Sam Wong | 99 | 3.81% | |
| Republican | Nathan Headrick | 40 | 1.54% | |
| Republican | Arthur Purves | 39 | 1.49% | |
| Total votes | 2,601 | 100.00% | ||
Independents
[edit]Failed to qualify
[edit]- Chandrashekar Tamirisa, sustainability leader[56]
General election
[edit]Debates and forums
[edit]| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Participants | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn | ||||||
| James Walkinshaw | Stewart Whitson | |||||
| 1 | July 28, 2025 | Reston Citizens Association[57] | Lynne Mulston | [58] | P | P |
Endorsements
[edit]Stewart Whitson (R)
- Statewide officials
- Glenn Youngkin, incumbent governor (2022–present)[59]
Predictions
[edit]| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[60] | Solid D | June 30, 2025 |
| Inside Elections[61] | Solid D | June 30, 2025 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[62] | Safe D | July 10, 2025 |
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James Walkinshaw | |||
| Republican | Stewart Whitson | |||
| Write-in | ||||
| Total votes | 100.0 | |||
Notes
[edit]- ^ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
Partisan clients
- ^ Poll sponsored by Walkinshaw's campaign
References
[edit]- ^ Serre, Jared (May 21, 2025). "BREAKING: Rep. Gerry Connolly, longtime Fairfax politician, dies". FFXnow. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Quinn, Melissa (May 21, 2025). "Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly dies at 75". CBS News. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Fields, Odyssey (November 7, 2024). "Virginia US Rep. Gerry Connolly announces cancer diagnosis after reelection". DC News Now. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Schmidt, Markus (June 3, 2025). "Youngkin sets Sept. 9 special election to fill Connolly's seat in Congress". Virginia Mercury. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ Lesniewski, Niels; Altimari, Daniela (May 21, 2025). "Virginia Rep. Gerald Connolly dies after cancer returns". Roll Call. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
- ^ Kerley, Andrew (June 19, 2025). "Walkinshaw's frontrunner status sparks debate over fairness in Virginia's 11th Congressional District Primary". Virginia Scope. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ Barthel, Margaret (June 23, 2025). "Fairfax voters head to the polls this week for a high-stakes congressional primary". WAMU 88.5. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ Kerley, Andrew (June 19, 2025). "Walkinshaw's frontrunner status sparks debate over fairness in Virginia's 11th Congressional District Primary". Virginia Scope. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ Barthel, Margaret (June 23, 2025). "Fairfax voters head to the polls this week for a high-stakes congressional primary". WAMU 88.5. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ Solendar, Andrew (June 24, 2025). "Dead congressman promotes candidate for his seat on social media". Axios. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ "Supervisor Walkinshaw is running for Congress". Annandale Today. May 6, 2025. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ Serre, Jared (May 19, 2025). "Fairfax planning commissioner announces Congressional run". FFXnow. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ Kerley, Andrew (June 19, 2025). "Walkinshaw's frontrunner status sparks debate over fairness in Virginia's 11th Congressional District Primary". Virginia Scope. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
- ^ a b Serre, Jared (June 3, 2025). "JUST IN: Youngkin schedules special election to replace Rep. Gerry Connolly". FFXnow. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ Woolsey, Angela (May 29, 2025). "Former Venezuelan congressman joins race to succeed Rep. Gerry Connolly | FFXnow". FFXnow. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
- ^ O'Connell, Michael (June 5, 2025). "National Security Expert, Ex-CIA Operations Officer Enters 11th District Race". Patch. Patch Media. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ Serre, Jared (May 7, 2025). "State Sen. Stella Pekarsky joins race to replace Rep. Gerry Connolly". FFXnow. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
- ^ "2025 Democratic Firehouse Primary (6/28/2025) SPECIAL". The Virginia Public Access Project. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ Woolsey, Angela (May 30, 2025). "Vienna energy expert launches bid for 11th Congressional District seat". FFXnow. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ a b Jarvis, Brandon (May 15, 2025). "Boysko is endorsing Walkinshaw". Virginia Political Newsletter. Virginia Scope. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ a b Steve Descano (@SteveDescano) (June 18, 2025). "Steve Descano (@SteveDescano) "Proud to support my friend @JamesWalkinshaw" [Tweet]". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ a b Kassel, Matthew (May 16, 2025). "Eileen Filler-Corn endorses James Walkinshaw in Northern Virginia House race". Jewish Insider. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ Nir, David; Singer, Jeff (June 5, 2025). "Morning Digest: Well-known Nebraska Democrat joins race to take on Don Bacon". Retrieved June 5, 2025.
- ^ a b c Martz, Michael (June 3, 2025). "Field grows as Youngkin sets special election for Connolly's congressional seat". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Jacobs, Michael O'Connell (May 15, 2024). "Fairfax Leaders Endorse Democrat In Race To Succeed U.S. Rep. Connolly". Patch. Patch Media. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
- ^ Jared Serre (June 16, 2025). "Jared Serre (@JaredSerre) [Tweet]". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ Cullum, James (June 26, 2025). "Alexandria Mayor Gaskins endorses Fairfax County Planning Commissioner Candice Bennett for Virginia's open 11th Congressional District seat". Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Serre, Jared (May 9, 2025). "State Democrats start to pick sides early in race to choose Rep. Connolly's successor". FFXnow. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Blanchard, Jack; Burns, Dasha (June 3, 2025). "Playbook: Trump turns the screws". Politico. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ Jarvis, Brandon (June 20, 2025). "RGA to invest in Earle-Sears". Virginia Scope. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
- ^ "Video: Roland Martin's Virginia Exclusives; LG Nominee Hashmi Backs Del. Irene Shin for Congress; Chesley: Don't Underestimate LG Earle-Sears". June 23, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
- ^ "Instagram". Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ Daniels, Cheyanne (June 10, 2025). "With removal looming, David Hogg endorses in Virginia special election". Politico. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ O'Connell, Michael (May 22, 2025). "Choosing Connolly's Successor In Congress: What To Know". Patch. Patch Media. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ Serre, Jared (May 6, 2025). "Rep. Connolly backs former chief of staff to succeed him in Congress". InsideNova. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
- ^ Dylan Ebs (June 15, 2025). "Virginia Democrats target Trump in race to replace Gerry Connolly in Congress". NBC News. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
- ^ lowkell (June 27, 2025). "After COMPLETELY Botching Their VA11 Democratic Candidates Questionnaire (Weird Yes/No Questions, Lack of "nuance and context," etc.), the WaPo Deletes the Answers". Blue Virginia. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "BREAKING: Gov. Glenn Youngkin Sets Date (9/9/25) for Special Election in VA11". Blue Virginia. June 3, 2025. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ "Results from a Recent Baseline Poll in the VA-11 Special Democratic Primary Election". Punchbowl News. June 11, 2025. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "AT CAPACITY Congressional District 11 Candidate Forum". Fairfax Democrats. Archived from the original on June 20, 2025. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
- ^ "WATCH LIVE: Virginia's Congressional District 11 Democratic Candidate Forum". YouTube. June 24, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
- ^ "CD-11 UNOFFICIAL RESULTS". Google Docs. 11th Congressional District Democratic Committee. June 28, 2025. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
- ^ Serre, Jared (June 9, 2025). "Republicans will decide 11th Congressional District nominee at lone canvass event". FFXnow. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
A singular canvass event will be held on June 28 at Fairfax High School, gathering all voters in one location to select a nominee, Virginia's 11th Congressional District Republican Committee announced last week.
- ^ "Stewart Whitson - Republican Candidate for Virginia's 11th Congressional District". Virginia's 11th Congressional District Republicans. June 12, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
- ^ Quarshie, Mabinty (June 5, 2025). "Virginia Republican plans to spend $2 million on special election". Washington Examiner. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ Elkind, Elizabeth (June 3, 2025). "Trump-supporting communism survivor jumps into race for late Democrat's seat". Fox News. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ "Arthur Purves - Republican Candidate for Virginia's 11th Congressional District". Virginia's 11th Congressional District Republicans. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ Israel, Josh (June 4, 2025). "Gov. Youngkin calls Virginia 11th District special election for Sept. 9". The Virginia Independent. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ Serre, Jared (April 30, 2025). "SCOOP: Former Republican nominee will run again to replace Rep. Gerry Connolly". FFXnow. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ "Sam Wong - Republican Candidate for Virginia's 11th Congressional District". Virginia's 11th Congressional District Republicans. June 10, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ "11th Congressional District Candidate Forum #1". Fairfax GOP. Archived from the original on June 20, 2025. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
- ^ "Fairfax County 11th District Congressional Candidate Forum". YouTube. June 24, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
- ^ "11th Congressional District Candidate Forum #2". Fairfax GOP. Archived from the original on June 20, 2025. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
- ^ "11CD Republican Candidates Forum Virginia". YouTube. June 24, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ "Stewart Whitson Wins Republican Nomination For The 11th Congressional District Special Election". Virginia's 11th Congressional District Republicans. Archived from the original on June 29, 2025. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
- ^ O'Connell, Michael (July 14, 2025). "Independent Candidate Not On Ballot In 11th District Race". Patch. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
- ^ Harrell, Princess (July 22, 2025). "WATCH: Fairfax voters hear from CD-11 candidates at forum ahead of special election". WJLA-TV. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
- ^ "YOUR VOICE, YOUR VOTE - Virginia 11th Congressional District Candidate Forum". YouTube. July 28, 2025. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
- ^ "Governor Glenn Youngkin Endorses Stewart Whitson in Key Special Election". Virginia's 11th Congressional District Republicans. July 7, 2025. Archived from the original on July 29, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ "2026 CPR House Race Ratings". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
- ^ "House Ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
- ^ "2026 House Ratings". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Official campaign websites