2025 Virginia's 11th congressional district special election
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The 2025 Virginia's 11th congressional district special election to determine the member of the United States House of Representatives for Virginia's 11th congressional district was held on September 9, 2025. The seat became vacant following the death of Democrat Gerry Connolly on May 21, 2025. The district was considered safely Democratic.
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September 9, 2025
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Virginia's 11th congressional district | |||||||||||||||||
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Walkinshaw: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% 90%+ | |||||||||||||||||
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Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw won the Democratic primary with 59% of the vote, defeating Irene Shin and Stella Pekarsky. Stewart Whitson, a former FBI agent, won the GOP primary with 39% of the vote. In the general election, Walkinshaw outraised Whitson by $1 million to $224 thousand.
In the September 9 general election, Walkinshaw defeated Whitson by roughly 50 percentage points, a leftward shift from 2024.
Background
Incumbent representative Gerry Connolly died of esophageal cancer on May 21, 2025.[1] Connolly had previously announced that he would not seek re-election in 2026.[2] He was first elected in 2008, and had announced his cancer diagnosis shortly after being re-elected in 2024.[3] In the United States, vacancies in the House must be filled by special elections. Under Virginia law, the governor schedules the special election and political parties handle their nominating processes themselves. Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin called a special election to be held on September 9, 2025. The deadline for candidates to file a candidacy was July 11, 2025.[4]
Based primarily in Fairfax County, this suburban district is widely regarded by political analysts to be a safely Democratic seat. The last time a Republican was elected to this district was in 2006, when Tom Davis was re‑elected. As of 2025, the seat has remained under Democratic control ever since, and Connolly won it by 67% to 33% in 2024.[5]
Democratic primary
Campaign
Opponents of James Walkinshaw, including Stella Pekarsky and Irene Shin, have alleged that the primary election was biased in favor of Walkinshaw, pointing to the short timeline for the election and the party's choice not to use ranked-choice voting in the primary.[6] Pekarsky, Shin, and other candidates have expressed frustration with delays in the party releasing voting locations and other information. Other candidates have shared concerns that party volunteers have publicly displayed a preference for Walkinshaw while working on behalf of the party.[7]
Fairfax County Democratic Committee chair Aaron Yohai denied Shin and Pekarsky’s claims, blaming Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin for scheduling the election so soon, which he said caused the delays in information.[8] Walkinshaw told Virginia Scope the complaints were candidates "trying to work the refs."[9]
On June 24, Connolly's social media accounts posted messages of support for Walkinshaw, causing shock and controversy on social media.[10]
Candidates
Nominee
- James Walkinshaw, Fairfax County supervisor (2019–2025) and former chief of staff to Gerry Connolly[11]
Eliminated in primary
- Candice Bennett, member of the Fairfax County Planning Commission (2020–present)[12]
- Ross William Branstetter IV, businessman[13]
- Dan Lee, healthcare technology entrepreneur[14]
- Leopoldo Martínez Nucete, former senior counselor of the Minority Business Development Agency (2024–2025) and former deputy to the National Assembly of Venezuela (2000–2005)[15]
- Amy Papanu, former CIA operations officer and national security expert[16]
- Stella Pekarsky, state senator from the 36th district (2024–present)[17]
- Priya Punnoose, psychiatrist[18]
- Amy Roma, energy policy lawyer[19]
- Irene Shin, state delegate from the 8th district (2022–present)[14]
Declined
- Jennifer Boysko, state senator from the 38th district (2019–present) and candidate for Virginia's 10th congressional district in 2024 (endorsed Walkinshaw and Shin)[20]
- Steve Descano, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney (2020–present) (endorsed Walkinshaw)[21]
- Eileen Filler-Corn, former Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (2020–2022) from the 41st district (2010–2024) and candidate for Virginia's 10th congressional district in 2024 (endorsed Walkinshaw)[22]
- Dan Helmer, state delegate from the 10th district (2020–present) and candidate for Virginia's 10th congressional district in 2018 and 2024[23]
- Dave Marsden, state senator from the 35th district (2010–present) (endorsed Walkinshaw)[24]
- Jeff McKay, chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (2020–present) (endorsed Walkinshaw)[25]
- Saddam Azlan Salim, state senator from the 37th district (2024–present) (endorsed Pekarsky)[26]
Endorsements
- Local officials
- Alyia Gaskins, mayor of Alexandria (2025–present)[27]
- State legislators
- Louise Lucas, president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate (2020–present) from the 18th district (1992–present)[28]
- Holly Seibold, state delegate from the 12th district (2023–present)[28]
- Scott Surovell, majority leader of the Virginia Senate (2024–present) from the 34th district (2016–present)[24]
- U.S. senators
- Andy Kim, U.S. senator from New Jersey (2024–present)[29]
- U.S. representatives
- Judy Chu, U.S. representative from California's 28th congressional district (2009–present)[30]
- State legislators
- Ghazala Hashmi, state senator from the 15th district (2020–2025) and Democratic nominee in the 2025 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election[31]
- Organizations
- Individuals
- David Hogg, former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (2025)[33]
- U.S. representatives
- Don Beyer, U.S. representative from Virginia's 8th congressional district (2015–present)[34]
- Gerry Connolly, former U.S. representative from Virginia's 11th congressional district (2009–2025) (deceased; prior to his death)[35]
- Eugene Vindman, U.S. representative from Virginia's 7th congressional district (2025–present)[36]
- Jennifer Wexton, former U.S. representative from Virginia's 10th congressional district (2019–2025)[28]
- Statewide officials
- Terry McAuliffe, former Governor of Virginia (2014–2018)[37]
- State legislators
- Jennifer Boysko, state senator from the 38th district (2019–present)[20]
- David Bulova, state delegate from the 11th district (2006–2026)[28]
- Eileen Filler-Corn, former Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (2020–2022) from the 41st district (2010–2024)[22]
- Dave Marsden, state senator from the 35th district (2010–present)[24]
- Briana Sewell, state delegate from the 25th district (2022–present)[28]
- Rip Sullivan, state delegate from the 6th district (2024–present)[28]
- Vivian Watts, state delegate from the 39th district (1996–present)[38]
- County officials
- Walter Alcorn, Fairfax County supervisor from the Hunter Mill district (2020–present)[25]
- Jimmy Bierman, Fairfax County supervisor from the Dranesville district (2024–present)[25]
- Steve Descano, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney (2020–present)[21]
- Andres Jimenez, Fairfax County supervisor from the Mason district (2024–present)[25]
- Rodney Lusk, Fairfax County supervisor from the Franconia district (2020–present)[25]
- Jeff McKay, chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (2020–present)[25]
- Dalia Palchik, Fairfax County supervisor from the Providence district (2020–present) and former member of the Fairfax County Public School Board[25]
- Kathy Smith, Fairfax County supervisor from the Sully district (2016–present)[25]
- Dan Storck, Fairfax County supervisor from the Mount Vernon district (2016–present)[25]
Polling
Debates and forums
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
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| Bennett | Branstetter | Lee | Martinez | Papanu | Pekarsky | Punnoose | Roma | Shin | Walkinshaw | |||||
| 1 | June 24, 2025 | WinDem[40] | Suhas Subramanyam | [41] | P | A | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James Walkinshaw | 23,537 | 59.67% | |
| Democratic | Irene Shin | 5,613 | 14.23% | |
| Democratic | Stella Pekarsky | 5,271 | 13.36% | |
| Democratic | Amy Roma | 2,807 | 7.12% | |
| Democratic | Dan Lee | 734 | 1.86% | |
| Democratic | Leopoldo Martínez Nucete | 533 | 1.35% | |
| Democratic | Amy Papanu | 415 | 1.05% | |
| Democratic | Priya Punnoose | 241 | 0.61% | |
| Democratic | Candice Bennett | 199 | 0.50% | |
| Democratic | Ross William Branstetter IV | 25 | 0.06% | |
| Unallocated | 69 | 0.17% | ||
| Total votes | 39,444 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
The Republicans held a canvass to determine their nominee on June 28 at Fairfax High School, rather than run a full primary.[43]
Candidates
Nominee
- Stewart Whitson, government relations professional[44]
Eliminated in primary
- Nathan Headrick, banking executive[45]
- Karina Lipsman, systems engineer and nominee for Virginia's 8th congressional district in 2022[46]
- Arthur Purves, president of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance[47]
- Lucas Rand, hospital administrator[48]
- Mike Van Meter, behavioral therapist and nominee for this district in 2024[49]
- Sam Wong, U.S. Army veteran[50]
Debates and forums
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
|||||||||||
| Headrick | Lipsman | Purves | Rand | Van Meter | Whitson | Wong | |||||
| 1 | June 22, 2025 | WMAL-FM[51] | Vince Coglianese | [52] | A | P | A | P | P | P | P |
| 2 | June 23, 2025 | WMAL-FM[53] | Larry O'Connor | [54] | A | P | P | P | P | P | P |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Stewart Whitson | 1,019 | 39.18% | |
| Republican | Karina Lipsman | 620 | 23.84% | |
| Republican | Mike Van Meter | 586 | 22.53% | |
| Republican | Lucas Rand | 198 | 7.61% | |
| Republican | Sam Wong | 99 | 3.81% | |
| Republican | Nathan Headrick | 40 | 1.54% | |
| Republican | Arthur Purves | 39 | 1.49% | |
| Total votes | 2,601 | 100.00% | ||
Independents
Failed to qualify
- Chandrashekar Tamirisa, sustainability leader[56]
General election
Debates and forums
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Participants | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn | ||||||
| James Walkinshaw | Stewart Whitson | |||||
| 1 | July 28, 2025 | Reston Citizens Association[57] | Lynne Mulston | [58] | P | P |
| 2 | August 18, 2025 | League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area[59] | Catherine White | [60] | P | P |
Post-primary endorsements
- U.S. senators
- Mark Warner, U.S. senator from Virginia (2009–present)[61]
- U.S. representatives
- Abigail Spanberger, former U.S. representative from Virginia's 7th congressional district (2019–2025) and Democratic nominee in the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election[62]
- State legislators
- Jay Jones, state delegate from the 89th district (2018–2021) and Democratic nominee in the 2025 Virginia Attorney General election[63]
- Ghazala Hashmi, state senator from the 15th district (2020–2025) and Democratic nominee in the 2025 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election[64]
- Statewide officials
- Glenn Youngkin, incumbent governor (2022–2026)[65]
- County officials
- Pat Herrity, Fairfax County supervisor from the Springfield district (2008–present)[66]
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[67] | Solid D | August 23, 2025 |
| Inside Elections[68] | Solid D | August 28, 2025 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[69] | Safe D | August 29, 2025 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James Walkinshaw | 113,596 | 75.14 | |
| Republican | Stewart Whitson | 37,297 | 24.67 | |
| Write-in | 287 | 0.19 | ||
| Total votes | 151,180 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
By county and independent city
| Locality[71] | James Walkinshaw Democratic |
Stewart Whitson Republican |
Write-in Various |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Fairfax City | 4,001 | 74.52% | 1,362 | 25.37% | 6 | 0.11% | 2,639 | 49.15% | 5,369 |
| Fairfax County (part) | 109,595 | 75.16% | 35,935 | 24.64% | 281 | 0.19% | 73,660 | 50.52% | 145,811 |
| Totals | 113,596 | 75.14% | 37,297 | 24.67% | 287 | 0.19% | 76,299 | 50.47% | 151,180 |