Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) said Monday he would not seek reelection and will soon step down as the leading Democrat on the House Oversight Committee after revealing his cancer has returned.
“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,” Connolly wrote in an open letter to his constituents.
An updated note to my constituents: pic.twitter.com/snhaVQK8iK
— Rep. Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) April 28, 2025
Connolly had prevailed over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to be the leading Democrat on the Oversight Committee, a contest that represented the generational fight within the Democrat Party. Many other elder Democrats had stepped aside for newer generations of Democrat lawmakers who wish to hold more vigorous oversight of the Trump administration.
The Virginia Democrat announced last November that he had been diagnosed with esophagus cancer.
“I’m going to undergo chemotherapy and immunotherapy right away. Cancer can be tough. But so am I. I will attack this the only way I know how – with Irish fight and humor,” Connolly said in November.
CNN reported:
Connolly represents Virginia’s 11th congressional district, an affluent and diverse area in northern Virginia and the suburbs of DC. He’s held the seat since 2009 and was reelected to his ninth term on Tuesday after handily defeating Republican Mike Van Meter, a Navy veteran and former FBI agent, in the heavily blue district.
Connolly sits on the House Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees. As a ranking Democratic member on a subcommittee on government innovation, Connolly is involved in government investments with federal contractors, a key component of the local economy he represents. He sponsored bills to change how the federal government buys technology and to reduce the number of reports that federal agencies had to disclose.
“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 soon,” Connolly continued in his letter to constituents. “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. My loving family and staff sustain me. My extended family — you all have been a joy to serve.”
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on X @SeanMoran3.
