Democrats will retain control of a vacant congressional seat in northern Virginia after a special election on Tuesday.
Democratic Party nominee James Walkinshaw defeated Republican Stewart Whitson in the 11th Congressional District.
The seat was left open following the death of longtime Democrat Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) in May after a battle with cancer.
Walkinshaw is a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors member and Connolly’s former chief of staff.
He will now succeed Connolly in representing the deep blue district.
According to the Associated Press, Walkinshaw secured a commanding victory margin of roughly 50 points over Whitson.
Connolly won his last two elections by more than 30 points.
Republicans have not carried the district in nearly two decades.
Heading into Tuesday’s election, Republicans held a narrow 219–212 majority in the House, with several seats vacant.
Walkinshaw’s win further narrows that margin, underscoring how every race matters as both parties prepare for high-stakes legislative battles this fall.
Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Ken Martin celebrated the outcome.
Martin called it part of a trend of Democrat overperformance in 2025’s elections.
However, the election was always likely to fall to the Democrat candidate in the heavily Left-voting district.
On the campaign trail, local issues such as federal workforce cuts, crime, immigration, and social policies were front and center.
Walkinshaw told Fox News that voters in Fairfax County are already feeling the effects of Washington’s policy debates.
Republican Stewart Whitson, an Army veteran and former FBI special agent, campaigned on pragmatic leadership and solutions for families in the district.
“The people in our district who have lost their jobs or who are worried about losing their jobs, they don’t need empathy,” Whitson said.
“They need solutions.”
He emphasized his belief that the district needs representation that can work with any administration, regardless of party.
“We need someone to represent the people in our district who can work with any administration, whether it’s Republican or Democrat,” Whitson noted.
While Democrats leaned heavily on national political themes, Whitson praised the “common sense” principles behind many of President Donald Trump’s policies.
He sought to frame his campaign around addressing residents’ concerns directly.
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