The late Rep. Gerry Connolly was an institution in Northern Virginia politics for decades. First elected as a Fairfax County supervisor in 1995, he went on to serve for 16 years in Congress and became known as a fierce defender of the federal employees who dominated his suburban Washington D.C. district.
The Democratic primary to replace him has become a clash between Connolly’s preferred successor and a crowd of ambitious Democrats hoping to take advantage of the party’s anti-establishment mood. It’ll be the first test of whether or not that mood translates into votes — in one of the most affluent and highly-educated districts in the country.
After announcing that he wouldn’t run for reelection due to illness, Connolly quickly put his succession plan in motion. Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw announced his campaign for Virginia’s 11th District on May 6; the following day, Connolly published a letter endorsing Walkinshaw, who had served as chief of staff for a decade. Within two weeks, he received endorsements from former Rep. Jennifer Wexton (who had represented the northern portion of the district
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