US Representative Gerry Connolly, who represented Fairfax County in Congress since 2009, died Wednesday. Connolly’s family announced his death on X. He was 75.
— Rep. Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) May 21, 2025
Before he entered Congress, Connolly was a longtime member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, which he chaired for four years. Connolly championed Metro’s Silver Line, which now extends beyond Dulles Airport, and fought for federal workers, an avocation that took on more urgency during the second Trump administration.
Connolly announced he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer two days after he won reelection last November. He successfully ran to be ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, defeating his fellow Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Connolly announced last month that he wouldn’t seek reelection.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
