Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday set a special election for Sept. 9, 2025, to fill the congressional seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Gerry Connolly, a longtime Democratic fixture in Northern Virginia who passed away May 21 after a battle against cancer.
Candidates hoping to compete must file by July 11, with eligibility details available on the Department of Elections website.
Connolly, 75, died just weeks after announcing he would not seek reelection. First elected to Congress in 2008 after a decade on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, including five years as chair. Before his time in local government, he worked on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and held positions in the private sector with firms like SRI International and SAIC.
Virginia law requires the governor to call a special election to replace a congressional representative, but offers flexibility on timing. Elections must be held on a Tuesday and cannot occur within 55 days of a regularly scheduled general or primary election — a restriction that ruled out much of the summer due to Virginia’s June 17 congressional primaries.
Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Sen. Lamont Bagby (D-Henrico) said last week that the party intentionally held off on finalizing its plans out of respect for the governor’s timeline. With the election date now set, he said, urgency will be key. “I want to see a nomination process that gives voters time and space to be heard,” Bagby said.
According to Virginia Mercury, Democrats are expected to hold a “firehouse primary” in mid-July to select their nominee. The Fairfax County Democratic Committee has already begun lining up polling locations, with plans to offer at least one site in each magisterial district.
Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw, who once served as Connolly’s chief of staff and had already received the late congressman’s endorsement, is widely seen as a frontrunner. Also weighing bids are state Sen. Stella Pekarsky, D-Fairfax; Fairfax Planning Commissioner Candice Bennett; and attorney Amy Roma, a Vienna resident who specializes in global energy policy.
On the Republican side, Mike Van Meter, a former law enforcement officer who lost to Connolly in 2024 by a 67-33% margin, has announced plans to run again. So far, no other Republican contenders have entered the race.
The full writ of election is available on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
