Rep. Gerry Connolly, a spirited and pragmatic Democrat from Virginia who spent nearly two decades in Congress defending civil servants and government accountability, died Wednesday at his home in Fairfax County. He was 75.
His family confirmed his death. Connolly had been undergoing treatment for esophageal cancer, a diagnosis he made public late last year. In April, he announced the treatments had failed and that he would not seek reelection in 2026. He is survived by his wife, Cathy, and daughter, Caitlin.
“It is with immense sadness that we share that our devoted and loving father, husband, brother, friend, and public servant, Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, passed away peacefully at his home this morning surrounded by family,” the Connolly family announced in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.
Connolly represented Northern Virginia’s 11th District for nine terms, a region densely populated by federal workers.
He rose to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee earlier this year after narrowly defeating Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the post.
Known for his sharp wit and institutional expertise, Connolly spoke out for the marginalized.
“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,” the family noted.
The congressman was also one of Capitol Hill’s most outspoken defenders of the federal workforce. He fiercely opposed former President Donald Trump’s 2020 executive order to reclassify tens of thousands of civil servants as political appointees — an effort reversed under President Biden but revived after Trump returned to office in 2025.
“Trump is on a wrecking cruise to de-professionalize the civil service and threaten basic services to Americans,” Connolly warned in January. “It’s unlawful firings and impoundments that threaten to unravel 142 years of a civil service immune from partisan politics.”
Before his time in Congress, Connolly worked on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and served on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, where he helped shape the region into a technology and economic hub.
Tributes came swiftly after news of his death. U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) praised his “brilliant mind” and lifelong commitment to working people.
AFGE President Everett Kelley called him a “steadfast advocate” whose legislative work “will continue to inspire.”
His work and legacy will continue in Northern Virginia far beyond 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,” the Connolly family said. “We were fortunate to share Gerry with Northern Virginia for nearly 40 years because that was his joy, his purpose, and his passion.”
