Rep. Gerrald Connolly (D-Va.) has died at the age of 75 following a battle with esophageal cancer.
"He always stood up for what is right and just. He was a skilled statesman on the international stage, an accomplished legislator in Congress, a visionary executive on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, a fierce defender of democracy, an environmental champion, and a mentor to so many. But more important than his accomplishments in elected office, Gerry lived by the ethos of ‘bloom where you are planted,'" the family said. "From the Silver Line to the Oakton Library, Mosaic District to the Cross County Trail and beyond, his legacy now colors our region.”
His death comes after he announced in April that his esophageal cancer had reemerged despite receiving aggressive treatments. Connolly also confirmed at the time that he would not be seeking reelection in 2026.
Until late last month, Connolly was the top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, an important investigative panel that provided checks on the executive branch.
In a statement on his passing, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) praised Connolly’s “legislative wisdom” and credited him with defending democracy on the Oversight Committee for more than three decades. The Virginia congressman was humble and honorable and brought his signature wit to the lower chamber, Jeffries said.
Connolly was in his ninth term in the House serving Virginia’s 11th District, an area that includes Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax in Northern Virginia.
He also served on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
He was a member of the New Democrat Coalition, chair of the Smart Contracting Caucus, a founding member and Chair Emeritus of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkey Relations and Turkish Americans, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Korea, and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Georgia and the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Taiwan.
The Virginia congressman recently expressed concerns over former President Joe Biden's battle with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.