RICHMOND — The race has begun in Northern Virginia for a successor to , who announced last week that he will not run for re-election after eight terms in Congress.
Two Democrats — and state  — both announced this week that they are running for the 11th District seat in midterm elections next year that will test public reaction to President Donald Trump and the effect of his policies on the Northern Virginia economy.
Connolly has endorsed Walkinshaw, his former chief of staff.
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who lost to Connolly by a two-to-one margin in November, will run for the seat again, but most of the action in the heavily Democratic district is likely to feature an expanding field of Democratic candidates in a party primary next spring.
"I'd be surprised if there weren't at least six to 10," said Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, who lives in the adjoining 8th Congressional District. "We have a high concentration of people who care about Congress and want to play in that sandbox."
Other candidates could include three Fairfax Democrats who ran for the party nomination in the 10th District last year — Del. Dan Helmer, former House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn and Sen. Jennifer Boysko. They lost the Democratic nomination in a 12-way primary election to then-Sen. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Loudoun, who went on to win the congressional seat in November.
In a social media post after Connolly announced his retirement on April 28, Helmer, who is a leader in the push to expand the Democratic majority in the House of Delegates this year, said, "In the days ahead I will be talking to my family and community about how best to continue fighting for Northern Virginia."
Walkinshaw served as Connolly's chief of staff for 10 years before winning the Braddock District seat on the Fairfax Board of Supervisors in 2019. "No one can replace Gerry Connolly, but I was at his side for over a decade, beating back Republican extremism and delivering for Fairfax," he said in a series of statements accompanying his video announcement Monday on X, formerly Twitter.
Connolly, who said he would relinquish his role as ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, endorsed his former protege in a social media statement.
"James brings unmatched experience, a depth of knowledge about federal issues, and a steadfast commitment to progressive values," the congressman said.
"This is not a moment for on-the-job training," Connolly said. "We need a strong representative, experienced in addressing national issues that affect our community, who can stand up to Trump and lead from day one."
Pekarsky won her first term in the Virginia Senate two years ago after defeating longtime Sen. George Barker, D-Fairfax, in a hard-fought Democratic primary.
She announced her candidacy for Congress on Tuesday with a video on X that emphasized her background as a former teacher and chair of the Fairfax County School Board, as well as confrontational style she promised to use to challenge Trump's policies in Congress.
"I refuse to stay silent and I refuse to back down to the criminal in the White House," she said. "I'm a mom and an educator who can't stand bullies, and I will never be pushed around."
