Scramble Begins for Control of Former Dem Congressman’s Seat as Virginia Heads to Special Election

The death of longtime U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., has triggered a high-stakes political scramble in Northern Virginia, as both parties prepare to nominate candidates Saturday ahead of a rare special election Sept. 9.

Virginia Republicans and Democrats will hold “firehouse primaries”—primary elections run by the political parties instead of the state—to determine their candidates. 

Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, centered around Fairfax, has been a reliable Democrat stronghold since the early 2000s. In the 2024 general election, Connolly beat his Republican opponent, Mike Van Meter, with twice as many votes. The district also leaned heavily Democrat in the presidential race, favoring former Vice President Kamala Harris over President Donald Trump by a similar margin.

Chair of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee Aaron Yohai told The Daily Signal, “Democrats in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District should vote for the future they want for our country.”

Despite the district’s blue lean, Republicans see the open seat as an opportunity to regain control in the U.S. House. Eleventh Congressional District Republican Committee Chair Rosie Oakley told The Daily Signal, “The margin in the House of Representatives is very narrow, favors Republicans, but by a very narrow margin, so it’s an opportunity for us to increase that margin by adding that seat.”

Oakley said that Republicans are “super excited” for the special election because it will be the first time since 2009 that a Republican candidate has not been up against a Democrat incumbent.

Democrat candidates include a Virginia state senator, a former Venezuelan congressman, and Connolly’s former chief of staff.

Republican candidates include Van Meter, a taxpayer advocate, and several military veterans.

The parties will announce their nominees after this weekend’s voting. Candidates will then have just over two months to campaign before the September special election, which could serve as a barometer of voter turnout and party strength ahead of the 2026 congressional midterm elections.