Democrat James Walkinshaw has secured a decisive victory in the special election to fill Virginia’s 11th Congressional District seat, a contest triggered by the May 2025 death of longtime U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly. The Associated Press called the race for Walkinshaw at 7:36 p.m. on September 9, just 36 minutes after polls closed, with Walkinshaw capturing roughly 75% of the vote to Republican Stewart Whitson’s 25%—a landslide that exceeded even Connolly’s margins in his most recent elections, according to reporting from WTOP and the Virginia Mercury.
Walkinshaw, a Fairfax County native and Connolly’s former chief of staff, addressed an enthusiastic crowd of supporters Tuesday night, declaring, “This is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump’s reckless agenda. This is the beginning of the end for MAGA rule in Washington. And this is the beginning of a new chapter, because tomorrow morning I’ll wake up and head to the Capitol and start fighting for our community.” His campaign, which raised more than $1 million—outpacing Whitson’s $224,469—emphasized his opposition to the Trump administration’s policies and his commitment to progressive causes.
Connolly, who had represented the district since 2009, endorsed Walkinshaw as his successor before passing away at age 75 from esophageal cancer. Connolly’s legacy loomed large over the race, with Walkinshaw campaigning as a “pragmatic progressive” in the mold of his late mentor. “It obviously started with a very hard loss of a close friend in Gerry Connolly. We had a sprint to the primary, a 10-way primary. So we sprinted to that, and now we’ve sprinted to this special election. But I’ve enjoyed most every minute of it, had the opportunity to meet thousands and thousands of folks here in the 11th District, and talk about their experiences and their challenges and their hopes and their dreams,” Walkinshaw told WTOP.
The district, which covers the City of Fairfax and much of Fairfax County, has been a Democratic stronghold for over a decade. In fact, Kamala Harris carried the district by more than 30 points in the last presidential election. Walkinshaw’s victory margin—nearly 75%—even surpassed Connolly’s 66.7% win in 2024. As WTOP’s Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller observed, “This result should be encouraging to Democrats, who needed a big win to indicate that they are energized heading into the 2026 midterm elections.” Still, Miller cautioned that the outcome may not be a perfect bellwether, given the district’s deep-blue leanings and Walkinshaw’s status as the favorite from the outset.
Walkinshaw’s resume is rooted in local and federal service. After graduating from New York University in 2005 with a degree in Politics, he spent more than a decade as Connolly’s chief of staff before being elected as the Braddock District supervisor on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2019. There, he has chaired both the board’s Legislative and Environmental Committees and led efforts to ban guns from libraries and recreation centers, improve pay and benefits for working families, extend tax relief to seniors and military families, and fight climate change. He also championed a plan to replace a county parking lot with 279 units of affordable housing and spearheaded a successful push to swap gas-powered leaf blowers for electric ones.
In Congress, Walkinshaw has pledged to work toward banning assault-style weapons, expanding federal non-discrimination protections, protecting victims of sexual assault, and eliminating partisan gerrymandering. Notably, his position on cryptocurrency diverges from Connolly’s: Walkinshaw received a $1 million boost in broadcast ads from the crypto lobbying group Protect Progress and touts blockchain as a transformative technology, while Connolly consistently voted against industry-backed legislation, as reported by Axios and the Virginia Mercury.
Throughout the campaign, Walkinshaw painted himself as a bulwark against the Trump administration’s agenda, especially targeting proposed cuts to the federal workforce—a major employer in the district—and the deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. He also called for the release of records related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, a move that could gain traction with the coalition of Democrats and a handful of Republicans who are now one vote closer to forcing a full House vote on the matter.
Republican Stewart Whitson, for his part, brought an impressive resume to the contest. A U.S. Army combat veteran, former FBI Special Agent, and licensed attorney, Whitson holds degrees from the University of Minnesota, George Washington University, and Georgetown. He currently works for a conservative think tank and has served as an adjunct professor at Catholic University. Whitson’s campaign echoed Trumpian themes, calling for an end to “waste, fraud and abuse” and describing the U.S. Department of Education as a “failed experiment.” Despite his credentials, Whitson faced daunting odds in a district that has steadily trended Democratic since Connolly first won the seat in 2008.
On election night, Whitson conceded gracefully, stating, “I congratulate my opponent and extend my gratitude to every voter who participated in this important election.” He pledged to continue serving the state and nation, even as the district’s voters delivered a clear verdict. As the Virginia Mercury noted, Whitson was outflanked in fundraising and faced a steep uphill battle from the start.
Voter turnout, as is typical for special elections, was relatively low. By 3 p.m. on election day, approximately 20% of the district’s voters had cast ballots, with nearly 11% voting early and just under 9% voting on the day itself. In contrast, more than 55% of registered voters participated in the last non-presidential-year election for the seat. Still, the lopsided result left little doubt about the district’s political identity or Walkinshaw’s mandate.
Walkinshaw wasted no time pressing for action, calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson to swear him in on September 10, the day after the election. He pointed out that winners of the two other special elections during the 119th Congress, both Republicans, were able to take the oath of office the day after their victories. “Tonight’s victory is just the beginning,” Walkinshaw said. “Northern Virginians have sent a very powerful message.”
With his victory, Democrats now hold 213 seats in the House of Representatives, while Republicans maintain a narrow majority with 219. While the special election may not have shifted the balance of power, it has energized Democratic ranks and set the stage for the upcoming gubernatorial race in Virginia this November. For Walkinshaw, the journey from Connolly’s chief of staff to Congress marks both a personal and political milestone—one that he hopes will signal broader change in Washington.
As the dust settles, Walkinshaw’s win stands as a testament to the enduring influence of local leadership and the evolving political landscape of Northern Virginia. Whether it truly marks the beginning of the end for Trump’s agenda, as Walkinshaw claims, remains to be seen. But for now, the district has chosen continuity—and a progressive vision for the future.
