Gerry Connolly, a fiery Democrat and fixture of Virginia politics, dies after battling cancer: Key points

Time of India

21-05-2025

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Rep. Gerald 'Gerry' Connolly, an outspoken and fiery Virginia Democrat, died Wednesday morning after a short battle with cancer, his family announced. He was 75.Connolly sought key reforms in the federal government while bringing transformational development to his populous Virginia district. He died at home in the company of family members, his family said in a statement-Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia has died, his office announced Wednesday morning. He was 75 years old. Connolly announced in 2024 that he had esophageal cancer and said a few months later that he planned to retire from Congress, according to AP.-Connolly, who most recently held a prominent position as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, served in Congress for more than 16 years.-A fixture of Virginia politics for three decades, Connolly was first elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 1995. On the county board, he steered the transition of northern Virginia's Tysons Corner from a traffic-heavy mall area to a downtown business hub.-In 2003, Connolly was elected chairman of the board and renewed efforts to advance long-debated transportation investments. He championed securing billions in state and federal funding to develop the Silver Line, a regional rail project aimed at connecting the greater Washington, D.C. area to Tysons Corner.-His leadership in local government helped propel him to Congress. In 2008, he won a seat previously held by Republicans, flipping it by nearly 42,000 votes. In his victory speech, Connolly pledged to make the federal government 'a responsive, accountable instrument for the people we serve.'-At 75, Connolly was a well-known presence in the Capitol's corridors, recognized for his spirited defense of Washington's institutions—especially in the aftermath of the January 6, 2021, attack—and for his strong advocacy on behalf of the numerous federal employees from his Northern Virginia district.-Connolly got his first taste of Congress while working as a staffer for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in the 1980s. Decades later, Connolly became a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. He also served as a member of the House Oversight Committee and led Democrats on subcommittees on government innovation and information technology.-He also closely monitored the financial struggles of the slowing U.S. Postal Service, emerging as a leading critic who accused President Donald Trump and former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy of attempting to undermine the agency to suppress mail-in voting during the 2020 presidential election.-Connolly reached a significant milestone late last year when he was selected as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, defeating Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the role.-As ranking member, Connolly called on inspectors general to investigate the Department of Government Efficiency. He and other Democrats also introduced a pair of resolutions demanding the Trump administration turn over documents and information about billionaire adviser Elon Musk's potential conflicts of interest and the firings of federal workers.-He said in late April that after 'grueling treatments,' he learned that the cancer had returned and that he decided to step down from his post on the committee and would not seek reelection.(With inputs from AP)