Latest news with #StewartWhitson
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Whitson vs. Walkinshaw to fill seat of late Rep. Gerry Connolly
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) — The stage is set for who will face each other in the fall to fill the remaining term of Representative Gerry Connolly. James Walkinshaw won Saturday's Democratic primary, while Stewart Whitson captured the Republican nomination. Walkinshaw spent 11 years as Connolly's chief-of-staff and received his endorsement after Connolly announced in April he would not seek another term after his esophageal cancer returned last November. Connolly passed away in May at the age of 75. PHOTOS: Amazon truck catches fire in Arlington Walkinshaw also serves on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, representing the Braddock District. 'I've seen he said that he [Whitson] wants to go to Washington to be Donald Trump's ally. That he wants to make those in the DOGE cuts permanent. And I couldn't disagree more,' Walkinshaw said. 'Frankly, I think that's insulting to Fairfax families who have been harmed by Donald Trump and harmed by those. And I want to go to Washington to put the brakes on Trump's reckless agenda Whitson has never run for political office. He's an Army veteran and a retired FBI agent. Whitson says he's spent the last four years pushing the conservative agenda before Congress. 'The people in my district are ready for change; they're ready for lower gas prices. They're lower, ready for affordable groceries. They're ready for strong leadership that'll fix the economy,' Whitson said. 'And so looking at this race, looking at both sides, the candidates on both sides, I didn't see a person that could offer. You know that kind of background.' Voters will decide who fills the remainder of Rep. Connolly's term on September 9. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Gerry Connolly aide wins Democratic primary in bid to replace him in US House seat from Virginia
Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw will be the Democratic nominee in the upcoming special election to replace the late Virginia Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly, district party officials announced Saturday after a party-run primary. Walkinshaw will face Republican Stewart Whitson, who also won a party-run nominating event Saturday. Connolly had represented Virginia's 11th district in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. for 16 years before he died of cancer in May. He endorsed Walkinshaw, who served as his chief of staff for more than a decade, shortly after he announced he wouldn't be seeking reelection. The special election to fill Connolly's seat will be held on Sept. 9. Walkinshaw will be heavily favored as Democratic Kamala Harris won the district by 34 points in the 2024. Connolly comfortably held the seat since his first election in 2008. Walkinshaw has served on the board of supervisors since January 2020, where he also chairs the board's legislative committee. In his endorsement, Connelly had called appointing Walkinshaw chief of staff was 'one of the best decisions I ever made.' '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. I believe James Walkinshaw is that leader,' Connolly wrote. Whitson is an Army veteran and former FBI agent who works in federal affairs at a conservative think tank. Walkinshaw and a collection of allied outside groups dominated spending on advertisements for the primary, helping him stand out in the crowded field. Pro-Walkinshaw advertisers accounted for more than half of the total ad spending for the race, about $2 million, according to the ad tracking firm AdImpact. Just one of those groups, a liberal super PAC called 'Protect Progress,' spent nearly $1 million on ads boosting Walkinshaw's campaign and touting his connections to Connolly.
Washington Post
a day ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
James Walkinshaw wins Democratic contest to likely replace US Rep. Connolly in northern Virginia
FAIRFAX, Va. — Democrats and Republicans chose candidates in northern Virginia on Saturday who will vie to replace the late U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Democrat who served the congressional district in the Washington suburbs for 16 years. Democrats chose James Walkinshaw, who currently serves on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors — which oversees the local budget and policies. Republicans picked Stewart Whitson, an Army veteran and former FBI agent.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
James Walkinshaw wins Democratic contest to likely replace US Rep. Connolly in northern Virginia
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Democrats and Republicans chose candidates in northern Virginia on Saturday who will vie to replace the late U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Democrat who served the congressional district in the Washington suburbs for 16 years. Democrats chose James Walkinshaw, who currently serves on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors — which oversees the local budget and policies. Republicans picked Stewart Whitson, an Army veteran and former FBI agent. The candidates will compete in a special election on Sept. 9 to represent Virginia's 11th Congressional District, which is home to more than 700,000 people and includes Fairfax, Reston and Vienna. Political observers have said that the district's Democratic primary likely will determine Connolly's successor in what has become a reliably Democratic district. Connolly, who most recently held a prominent position as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, died last month after battling esophageal cancer. The 75-year-old's death left House Republicans with a 220-212 majority in Congress. The so-called 'firehouse primaries' for the special election were run by the political parties, not local governments or the Virginia Department of Elections, according to Fairfax County's website. Walkinshaw, who previously served as Connolly's chief of staff for more than a decade, was viewed as the frontrunner leading up to the Democratic primary. He had received Connolly's endorsement before the congressman passed away. Walkinshaw bested 9 other candidates for the Democratic nomination. 'I'm honored and humbled to have earned the Democratic nomination for the district I've spent my career serving," Walkinshaw said in a written statement posted to X on Saturday. "This victory was powered by neighbors, volunteers and supporters who believe in protecting our democracy, defending our freedoms, and delivering for working families.' The Republican nominee, meanwhile, said in a statement that it was 'time to fight' to flip the seat. 'With President Trump back in office he's taking bold and aggressive action to get the country back on track,' Whitson said. 'But he needs strong allies in Congress who will help him fix the economy, protect our families, and restore common sense.'
Associated Press
a day ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
James Walkinshaw wins Democratic contest to likely replace US Rep. Connolly in northern Virginia
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Democrats and Republicans chose candidates in northern Virginia on Saturday who will vie to replace the late U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Democrat who served the congressional district in the Washington suburbs for 16 years. Democrats chose James Walkinshaw, who currently serves on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors — which oversees the local budget and policies. Republicans picked Stewart Whitson, an Army veteran and former FBI agent. The candidates will compete in a special election on Sept. 9 to represent Virginia's 11th Congressional District, which is home to more than 700,000 people and includes Fairfax, Reston and Vienna. Political observers have said that the district's Democratic primary likely will determine Connolly's successor in what has become a reliably Democratic district. Connolly, who most recently held a prominent position as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, died last month after battling esophageal cancer. The 75-year-old's death left House Republicans with a 220-212 majority in Congress. The so-called 'firehouse primaries' for the special election were run by the political parties, not local governments or the Virginia Department of Elections, according to Fairfax County's website. Walkinshaw, who previously served as Connolly's chief of staff for more than a decade, was viewed as the frontrunner leading up to the Democratic primary. He had received Connolly's endorsement before the congressman passed away. Walkinshaw bested 9 other candidates for the Democratic nomination. 'I'm honored and humbled to have earned the Democratic nomination for the district I've spent my career serving,' Walkinshaw said in a written statement posted to X on Saturday. 'This victory was powered by neighbors, volunteers and supporters who believe in protecting our democracy, defending our freedoms, and delivering for working families.' The Republican nominee, meanwhile, said in a statement that it was 'time to fight' to flip the seat. 'With President Trump back in office he's taking bold and aggressive action to get the country back on track,' Whitson said. 'But he needs strong allies in Congress who will help him fix the economy, protect our families, and restore common sense.'
