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Washington Post
a day ago
- General
- Washington Post
Special election to fill Rep. Connolly's seat in Congress officially set
In what is already a banner year for political campaigns in Virginia, voters in the 11th Congressional District will make an extra trip to the polls in early September to choose a successor to the late Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) announced on Tuesday that a special election for the congressional seat will be held Sept. 9, formally opening another competitive race in a state that will also pick a new governor and elect two more statewide officials and 100 state delegates.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Del. Terry Kilgore elected Virginia House Republican Leader
VIRGINIA (WJHL) — Del. Terry Kilgore (R-Scott) was elected the Virginia House Republican Leader on Sunday. A post by Kilgore said he was honored to be elected to lead the House GOP. Kilgore represents the 45th District in Virginia, which encompasses Scott and Lee counties, part of Wise County, and the City of Norton. Kilgore will step into the role after current leader Del. Todd Gilbert submitted an offer to step down while he pursues a federal position as the U.S. attorney for Virginia's Western District. Virginia's Senate Republicans released the following statement on Sunday after Kilgore was elected House leader: 'I want to extend my sincere thanks to Republican Leader Todd Gilbert for his years of tireless service to the House of Delegates and to the people of Virginia. His leadership, integrity, and unwavering commitment to our conservative values have left a lasting legacy in the General Assembly and across the Commonwealth. He has been a steady voice for common sense and a fierce advocate for hardworking Virginians. 'I also want to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Delegate Terry Kilgore on being elected the new House Republican Leader. I look forward to working closely with Leader Kilgore as we continue advancing policies that grow our economy, keep our communities safe, educate our children, and make Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family.' Virginia Senate Leader Ryan T. McDougle Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Gerry Connolly, a Democratic congressman and fixture of Virginia politics, dies at 75
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Gerald 'Gerry' Connolly, an outspoken Democrat who sought key reforms in the federal government while bringing transformational development to his populous Virginia district, died Wednesday. He was 75. 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. He died at home in the company of family members, his family said in a statement. Connolly announced in 2024 that he had esophageal cancer and said a few months later that he planned to retire from Congress. 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 board chairman, and he continued pushing for transportation investment that had been debated among officials for decades. Connolly sought billions in state and federal dollars to develop the regional rail system's Silver Line connecting the national capital region to Tysons Corner. Connolly's dream was realized with the Silver Line's opening in 2014, and eight years later, the rail line was extended an extra 11 miles (18 kilometers) to reach Dulles International Airport. As the extension opened in 2022, Connolly said: 'Doing big things is difficult — the world is filled with naysayers.' Connolly's local government experience launched his congressional career. He was elected in 2008 after flipping an open Republican-held seat by nearly 42,000 votes. In his victory speech, Connolly said he would use his position to ensure the federal bureaucracy is 'a responsive, accountable instrument for the people we serve.' 'If we insist the government must work for all of our citizens again, we cannot fail,' Connolly said. The spirited and at times bullheaded Fairfax Democrat became known for his voluble nature and willingness to engage in spirited debates. In one hearing, he accused Republicans of engaging in a witch hunt against the IRS, asking a witness if they ever read Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible.' 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. Connolly cosponsored the 2010 Telework Enhancement Act, which requires federal agencies to allow a portion of their employees to telework at least one day a week. In 2014, he cosponsored another bill that reformed federal IT management and has since saved the government billions of dollars, according to the Government Accountability Office. He also closely followed the financial burden of the slowing U.S. Postal Service, becoming a prominent voice accusing President Donald Trump and former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy of seeking to winnow the postal service to suppress mail-in ballots during the 2020 presidential election. Connolly reached a new milestone late last year as he was chosen ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. He defeated Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the position. The victory came shortly after Connolly announced late last year that he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and would undergo chemotherapy and immunotherapy. 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 no rancor and a full heart, I move into this final chapter full of pride in what we've accomplished together over 30 years,' he said. ___ Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia Republicans are reeling and more state headlines
The state Capitol. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) • 'Virginia Republicans are reeling — and they have no one to blame but themselves.' — MSNBC • ''Should never happen': Lawsuit seeks $100M in fatal Virginia house explosion.' — NBC4 • 'New Virginia law restricts social media usage for kids.' — WSLS • 'Virginia dentists urge vigilance as oral cancer cases rise.' — 13newsnow • 'Omni Homestead Resort will highlight Virginia wine's French connection.' — Alexandria Living Magazine SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia Republicans are reeling — and they have no one to blame but themselves
When Virginia voters elected businessman Glenn Youngkin as their governor in 2021, the Republican's victory derailed years of Democratic gains across the commonwealth and even stirred speculation about Youngkin as a future presidential contender. Less than four years later, Virginia's Republican Party is on the verge of disaster thanks to an explosive scandal involving the party's nominee for lieutenant governor and Youngkin's baffling decision to embrace Donald Trump's sweeping layoffs of federal workers, even though the state is home to over 340,000 federal workers. Few Virginians talk seriously about a future President Youngkin anymore. The governor's troubles are one more reminder that, despite playing the part of serious leaders, today's MAGA-fied Republicans have entirely forgotten how to govern — or even how to police their own bad behavior. Youngkin's GOP is turning off voters by the thousands and raising hopes of a Democratic blowout in statewide elections later this year. And Virginia Republicans have no one to blame but themselves. For many Virginians, the scandal dogging the GOP's lieutenant governor nominee, John Reid, is a testament to Youngkin's lack of influence within his own party. In late April, he privately urged Reid, Virginia's first openly gay candidate for statewide office, to abandon his race after Republican research claimed to link Reid to a Tumblr account with pictures of nude men. Reid didn't just refuse the governor's request. He released a video on social media denying the allegations. Trump-aligned Republican voters rallied around Reid and his message of MAGA persecution. 'The governor made a big mistake' asking Reid to drop out, Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, told a Virginia news station. 'He really stepped in it.' Then, late last month, Reid accused Matt Moran, Youngkin's top political strategist, of defaming and extorting him in an effort to push Reid off the ballot. Moran strongly denied the claims, even providing a sworn affidavit individually disputing each of Reid's accusations. Moran's all-out defense barely lasted a day before damaging audio recordings emerged that showed Moran had, in fact, done exactly what Reid accused him of doing. Less than a week later, Moran quietly left his role leading Youngkin's Spirit of Virginia PAC. It was a stunning fumble that only fueled Reid's sense of persecution — and highlighted the fractures in the party's uneasy alliance with Trumpism. 'The post-MAGA evangelical, tech bro, libertarian coalition is also starting to burst at the seams,' Democratic state Sen. Scott Surovell told me. 'Youngkin sees John Reid's alleged sharing of pornographic images on an obscure website disqualifying, but he thinks it's OK to stand by a president who brags about sexual assault and was found liable for sexual assault by a jury.' Reid's huge popularity among Virginia's Trumpers has many of the commonwealth's more mainstream Republican leaders worried about their political futures. A few have already decided to avoid embarrassing potential losses by ducking out of the process entirely, boosting Democrats' hopes that they can pick up legislative seats that once seemed like impossible fights. State House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert, one of the most powerful Republicans in the Legislature, has made no secret of the fact that he's trying to secure an appointed job at the U.S. attorney's office instead of facing voters later this year. Another group of endangered GOP lawmakers formed the 'Purple Caucus,' an effort to distance themselves from the extremism of Reid and his MAGA allies. Seven GOP state lawmakers represent districts Trump lost in 2024, while another seven serve in districts Trump barely won. In a normal election cycle, Democrats might struggle to recruit opponents for these Republicans. That's not the case this year, when Virginia's Democratic Party succeeded in fielding candidates for all 100 state House districts. That strategy is forcing Virginia's Republican Party to spend more money than expected at a time when the party is engaged in a divisive, demoralizing Youngkin-Reid civil war. If Democrats' strategy pays off, it could provide the crucial votes to secure the passage of three critical amendments to the state's constitution, which would protect reproductive rights, restore voting rights for released felons and repeal the state's archaic ban on same-sex marriage. Under Virginia's multiyear amendment process, if Democrats can hold their razor-thin majority in the state House and pass those bills a second time in 2026, the amendments would head to the voters just in time to play a major role in next year's midterm elections. Reid's presence on the ballot isn't just Youngkin's problem, it's also threatening to tank the gubernatorial bid of the governor's friend and planned successor, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Earle-Sears currently trails her Democratic opponent Rep. Abigail Spanberger by 7 points in new polling, and pollsters predict the rift between her conservative Christian base and Reid, who is gay, could be critical in putting Spanberger over the top in November. Late last month, Earle-Sears released a statement quoting the Bible while refusing to clearly condemn or support Reid's place as her running mate. 'It's [Reid's] race, and his decision alone to move forward,' Earle-Sears wrote. Clearly, she sees more risk in crossing Reid than in disappointing Youngkin and her own base. Other Republican leaders aren't as sanguine as Earle-Sears. 'The governor … just engaged the entire party in a circular firing squad,' said Phil Kazmierczak, the former president of the Log Cabin Republicans of Hampton Roads. 'I think it's going to damage his legacy.' For Surovell, the Virginia GOP's growing divisions aren't surprising for a coalition thrown together in the wake of Trump's first victory in 2016. 'The GOP's ideological Twister game is an unsustainable governing coalition and is resulting in economic catastrophe. People in Youngkin's own party are no longer listening to him.' Youngkin's fall from grace is a dizzying drop for a man once floated as 'the MAGA-lite future of the Republican Party.' Instead, hemmed in by a GOP that no longer believes in shame or accountability, Youngkin's time in office has become a potent symbol of Trump-era Republican decline. Ignored by his own party and likely to preside over a huge Democratic comeback later this year, Youngkin no longer talks much about the future. His present is painful enough. 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