A well-known Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives shocked the nation by announcing that he is going to finish his current term and not seek reelection after receiving a cancer diagnosis, which endangers his party’s chances of regaining control of the chamber during the midterms in 2026.
Virginia Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly, 75, revealed the news in a letter sent to his supporters, stating that he was diagnosed with cancer six months ago and has been wrestling with the possibility of leaving his political party in danger of losing their ability to win back control of Congress.
“Your outpouring of love and support has given me strength in my fights – both against cancer and in our collective defense of democracy,” he said in a letter addressed to “friends.”
“When I announced my diagnosis six months ago, I promised transparency. After grueling treatments, we’ve learned that the cancer, while initially beaten back, has now returned. I’ll do everything possible to continue to represent you, and thank you for your grace,” he went on. “The sun is setting on my time in public service, and this will be my last term in Congress. I will be stepping back as Ranking Member of the Oversight Committee.”
Before conservatives rejoice, the proverbial soil of a vacant seat in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District isn’t exactly fertile for a pickup by the Republican Party. Connolly has been able to take home two-thirds of the vote in Fairfax County, which includes the northern suburbs of Washington, D.C.
via Trending Politics News:
To be sure, Virginia Republicans under Gov. Glenn Youngkin have experienced a resurgence since the pandemic and will most likely put up a competitive candidate, forcing the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to expend precious resources to keep a seat that, under Connolly, might not have drawn much interest. The exodus of fired federal workers may also be a factor in the race. Terminations by the Trump administration have caused home sales in the D.C. metro area to skyrocket as the ranks of the unemployed swelled and longtime bureaucrats began to relocate. Those demographic changes may play into a Republican candidate’s favor.
Election forecasters are split on their predictions about which party will control the House after 2026. Generic ballot tests tend to favor Democratic candidates, but 270 to Win also predicts that Republicans will enjoy 208 reliably red pickups compared to Democrats’ 205, with the remaining 22 seats too close to call.
Retirement season has claimed other Democratic veterans as well. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), 80, will be vacating her seat following her 15th term rather than beat back a 26-year-old primary challenger. The same dynamic is at play in San Francisco, where Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is mulling whether to soldier on against a former aide to socialist “Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
There are others, however, who aren’t ready to give up, but are looking for ways to increase power by going from the House into the Senate, such Democratic Reps. Angie Craig of Minnesota and Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan.
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