Rep. Gerry Connolly, top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, dies at 75

WASHINGTON — Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee known for his vocal advocacy of federal workers and his frequent clashes with Republicans during televised hearings, died Wednesday morning, his family said. He was 75.

His death comes less than a year after he won a competitive race to become the ranking member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, one of the key panels that are charged with keeping a check on the executive branch. He announced in April that his esophageal cancer had returned despite receiving “grueling treatments,” and he would not be running for reelection in 2026.

“Gerry lived his life to give back to others and make our community better. He looked out for the disadvantaged and voiceless. 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,” his family said in a statement announcing his death. 

“But more important than his accomplishments in elected office, Gerry lived by the ethos of ‘bloom where you are planted.’ From the Silver Line to the Oakton Library, Mosaic District to the Cross County Trail and beyond, his legacy now colors our region.”

Before elected office, Connolly worked as a Democratic staffer on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, including for one of its members, then-Sen. Joe Biden. In 1995, Connolly won a seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C., and served for 14 years, including the last five as board chairman.

When GOP Rep. Tom Davis announced he would not run for reelection in 2008, Connolly jumped into the race to succeed him. Connolly cruised to victory in his primary, and also easily defeated his GOP opponent. 

He won reelection eight times in Virginia’s 11th district, which sits in the affluent suburbs outside of the nation’s capital and includes Fairfax County.