Congressman Gerry Connolly, the longtime Virginia politician and influential Democratic statesman on Capitol Hill, died early Wednesday, May 21. He was 75.

“It is with immense sadness that we share that our devoted and loving father, husband, brother, friend, and public servant, Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, passed away peacefully at his home this morning, surrounded by family," announced his family.

Connolly had been battling esophageal cancer, first diagnosed in November of 2024, and had begun chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments. He revealed last month that the cancer had returned.

In a note to constituents on April 28, Connolly wrote, “The sun is setting on my time in public service, and this will be my last term. … I move into this final chapter full of pride in what we’ve accomplished together over 30 years.”

A dedicated public servant, Connolly focused efforts on climate change and clean energy to immigration, foreign policy and gun violence. While on the Board of Supervisors, Connolly was instrumental in the successful campaign for the rail line to Dulles.

Connolly sponsored and supported legislative initiatives on behalf of active-duty service members, military families, and veterans, including measures to protect them from predatory service fees, enhance Veterans Administration services to veterans, provide more funding to treat brain injuries incurred on the battlefield, and assist military families when they must move to a new duty station.

In one of his final press releases, posted May 8, Connolly joined colleagues in demanding the immediate resumption of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

Connolly’s career included 14 years on the Board of Supervisors in Fairfax County, including five years as chairman; Ranking Member of the House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform; senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; and 10 years as a staff member on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was elected president of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly.

Connolly co-chaired the Korea Caucus, Georgia Caucus, Morocco Caucus, Taiwan Caucus, and the Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkey Relations and Turkish Americans. He also served as a member of the House Democracy Partnership, which supports the development of democratic legislative bodies in partner countries. He also served on the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa and the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. He was a leading voice on foreign assistance, war powers, embassy security, and democracy promotion abroad.

Connolly co-authored the bipartisan Issa-Connolly Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act, which was signed into law in 2014 and represented the first significant overhaul of the federal laws governing IT management since the enactment of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996.

Born Gerald Edward Connolly on March 30, 1950, Connolly received an M.A. in Public Administration from Harvard University in 1979. He received a B.A. in Literature from Maryknoll College in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

Connolly also worked in the nonprofit and private sectors, including for companies involved in global trade, technology, and government contracting.

Connolly is survived by his wife, Cathy “Smitty” Smith, and daughter Caitlin Rose.

Local tributes to Connolly include comments by U.S. Senator Mark Warner and Congressman Don Beyer, both longtime Alexandria residents.

* U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner: I am heartbroken over the loss of my dear friend Gerry Connolly … Gerry was a fighter. His sharp mind, boundless energy, and deep commitment to the people of Northern Virginia made him a force to be reckoned with, whether on the Fairfax Board of Supervisors or in Congress. He met every challenge with tenacity and purpose, including his final battle with cancer, which he faced with courage, grace, and quiet dignity.

* Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA): Everyone who runs for office says they want to get stuff done, but comparatively few actually succeed. Gerry got stuff done for years in Fairfax, where he advocated successfully for projects including the Silver Line and the Cross County Trail, which now bears his name. Then he brought the same attitude and outlook to Congress, where he wrote and passed a major postal reform, led efforts to create the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, and was one of the most tireless and active advocates for the federal workforce ever to serve in Congress. Gerry was especially proud to have been named the House’s ‘most effective legislator,’ and to have earned the trust of his colleagues to lead our Caucus on oversight and government reform, topics he knew more about than almost anyone. Everyone who worked with him knew Gerry as a pugnacious fighter for his constituents, for good government, and for a range of causes around the world. He was also warm, witty, and loyal, and he loved acting in community theater as a company member of the Providence Players of Fairfax. Above all, Gerry was beloved by his family, friends, and staff.

 Funeral arrangements are pending.