Overview

• Democrat James Walkinshaw, a Fairfax County supervisor and longtime aide to the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, faces Republican Stewart Whitson, an Army veteran and former FBI agent who works at the conservative Foundation for Government Accountability.
• The Northern Virginia district, home to thousands of federal employees and contractors, backed Kamala Harris by 34 points in 2024 and has reliably elected Democrats in recent cycles.
• Early voting began in July and ended Saturday, and Walkinshaw closed his get-out-the-vote push Sunday alongside House Democrats Pete Aguilar, Don Beyer and Eugene Vindman.
• A Democratic victory would reduce the House GOP’s buffer to two defections on party-line votes, shifting the split from 219–212 to 219–213.
• The race unfolds as lawmakers face a September 30 government funding deadline and as other specials approach in Arizona’s 7th on September 23 and Texas’ 18th on November 4.