A former longtime adviser to Rep. Gerry Connolly appears to be running to succeed his political mentor.
James Walkinshaw, a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for the past five years, filed paperwork today (Tuesday) to formally seek the Democratic nomination for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District.
Walkinshaw’s campaign sent out a mass text to supporters announcing his candidacy this afternoon. The message was first reported by Virginia Scope’s Brandon Jarvis.
James Walkinshaw is officially running for Congress in VA-11 pic.twitter.com/TaX1eUglNB
— Brandon Jarvis (@Jaaavis) May 6, 2025
Likely a frontrunner in the race, the 41-year-old supervisor worked as Connolly’s chief of staff for more than a decade — first when the congressman was on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and then in Congress — before seeking public office himself.
Walkinshaw left Connolly’s office in 2019 after getting elected to represent Fairfax County’s Braddock District on the Board of Supervisors, succeeding Republican John Cook. He is partway through his second term, having been reelected with 77% of the vote in 2023.
Among Walkinshaw’s roles on the board is serving as chairman of the legislative committee, where he has a major hand in advocating for Fairfax County issues at the state level. Recently, he has been at the forefront of the county board’s advocacy for more state assistance to address the economic impacts of the Trump administration’s federal workforce and funding cuts.
An Annandale resident, Walkinshaw is the first Democrat to enter the race to replace Connolly, who announced last month that he won’t seek reelection after a reemergence of the esophageal cancer he was diagnosed with last year.
Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, which covers most of Fairfax County, has been a Democratic stronghold ever since Connolly was elected to the seat in 2009. Currently serving his ninth term, Connolly has garnered at least two-thirds of the vote in each of the district’s last five elections.
As of today, Walkinshaw and Republican Mike Van Meter are the only two candidates who have formally entered the race.
A request for comment sent to Walkinshaw was not immediately returned. The full Board of Supervisors was in a meeting throughout this morning to mark up the county’s proposed budget, according to the board’s schedule.
Photo via James Walkinshaw/X
