James Walkinshaw, a Democrat, easily won the Sept. 9 special election in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, narrowing the GOP majority in the House of Representatives.
He defeated Stewart Whitson, a Republican, U.S. Army Combat veteran, and former FBI special agent.
Walkinshaw served for more than a decade as chief of staff to the man he will succeed, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who died on May 21.
Connolly served between 2009 and 2025 and was the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. Walkinshaw has served on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors since 2020.
Once Walkinshaw is sworn in, the House GOP majority could only afford to lose two of its members when it comes to party-line votes, instead of three.
Pamela Stewart, a Walkinshaw voter, told The Epoch Times that if Republicans lose representatives, “that would be a very wonderful thing.”
“I think we’re going in totally the wrong direction as a country at the moment, and we need to have our ship righted,” she said.
A voter, who only identified herself as Lynn, said the opposite.
“We were very concerned we could see a deterioration of our country under the control of the Democrats in the last administration, and we’re very concerned about a return to that,” she told The Epoch Times. “So I think it’s really important that we hold a majority, and if we don’t, I think that President [Donald] Trump will not have two more years to govern.”
The 11th Congressional District is overwhelmingly Democratic. In the 2024 election, then-Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris won 65 percent of the vote there.
Laura Cameron—a Wakefield, Virginia, voter—said she switched from being a Republican to a Democrat because she was “tired” of what she was seeing in the news, such as immigration policies.
Before he died, Connolly endorsed Walkinshaw to succeed him.
“James knows this community, he knows how Congress works, and most importantly, he knows who he’s fighting for—working families, federal workers, and all those who believe in a fairer, more just future,” continued Connolly. “I trust James to defend our values and lead with the same passion and principle that have defined our district for decades.”
Ahead of the election, Walkinshaw said he would work to fairly represent local constituents and small businesses.
“I hope to go to Congress to be the ally of the residents and the small businesses of the 11th District. That’s how I view the job,” he said at a press conference with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.).
“We need to make sure that Trump’s policies are fought in Congress,” Harry Schoenberg, a Walkinshaw voter, told The Epoch Times.
Andrew Chan—a Fairfax, Virginia, voter—told The Epoch Times he voted for Whitson because “I don’t trust Democrats anymore.”
Deborah Mahan, a Whitson voter, told The Epoch Times she cast her ballot for him “because he’s the best candidate.”
“He’s a family man. I love that about him. He’s served in the Army,” she said, adding, “I really like all those qualities about him, and all the undertakings that he’s had.”
