Rep. Gerry Connolly steps down as top Oversight Democrat and won’t seek reelection as cancer returns

Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia announced on April 28 he is stepping down as the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight Committee and will not be seeking reelection next year due to his cancer returning, ending his long career in public life.

“The sun is setting on my time in public service,” Connolly said in a statement. “With no rancor and a full heart, I move into this final chapter full of pride in what we’ve accomplished together over 30 years.”

Connolly, 75, has served in Congress since 2009 and represents Northern Virginia, including Fairfax County. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a statement that Connolly has been a “relentless advocate for the incredible civil servants” in his district during the Trump administration’s “unprecedented attacks on federal employees.”

Sen. Mark Warner, a fellow Virginia Democrat, lauded Connolly for his toughness.

“Whether it’s standing up for federal workers, advocating for good governance, or now confronting cancer with the same resilience and grit that have defined his life of public service, Gerry is one of the toughest fighters I know,” Warner said in a statement.

Connolly announced late last year that he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and would undergo chemotherapy and immunotherapy. He said that after “grueling treatments,” he learned that the cancer has returned.

Concerns about Connolly’s health were a factor late last year as he ran for the top ranking position on Oversight, one of the most prominent committees in Congress.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., ran against Connolly for the job but was defeated as the majority of Democrats opted to stick with the seniority system. Connolly has served on the Oversight Committee for more than 16 years.

Before serving in Congress, Connolly worked in the 1980s as a staffer for the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He became a fixture in northern Virginia politics as a Fairfax County board supervisor in 1995. He was elected the board’s chairman in 2003.

During his time on the county board, Connolly played a key role securing the funds needed to develop the region’s silver metro line, which now extends to Dulles International Airport.

-LEAH ASKARINAM and OLIVIA DIAZ, Associated Press