Democratic Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw defeated Republican Stewart Whitson easily on Tuesday, with The Associated Press calling the race at 7:36 p.m. Eastern time.
The race for the seat in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District was widely expected to be won by Walkinshaw, who will replace his former boss. The late Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly, who had represented the district for over 15 years, died in May.
Before passing away, Connolly wrote a letter endorsing Walkinshaw to succeed him in Congress. Connolly’s campaign transferred $1.8 million to a PAC backing Walkinshaw in the primary, according to Federal Election Commission reports.
Walkinshaw’s victory in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington is significant. As Republicans on Capitol Hill navigate their tight majority with a funding deadline looming, every additional Democratic vote poses a problem for Speaker Mike Johnson.
