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Democrats to be vacant congressional seat in suburbs of Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C. Donald Trump and his extensive and controversial agenda.
Democratic nominee James Walkinshaw defeated Republican nominee Stewart Whitson in the 11th Congressional District, which is left-leaning in Virginia, according to the Associated Press.
Walkinshaw will replace long-time Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly, who died in June after battling cancer.
Entering Tuesday’s special election, Republicans control the House of Representatives 219-212, three seats vacant by Democrats and seats held by Republicans. Walkinshaw’s victory in the left-leaning area, Republicans have not won in nearly two decades, further narrowing the Republican’s fragility House majority.
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The campaign signs of Republican Stewart Whitson and Democrat James Walkinshaw were seen in Fairfax County, Virginia on September 8, 2025, in the eve of the special elections in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District. (Paul Steinhauser-Fox News)
The region is home to thousands of government workers and contractors, with federal efforts to release Justice Department files on the campaign trailing for crime and immigration, transgender policies and even the Justice Department’s convicted sex Jeffrey Epstein’s efforts to release Justice Department files.
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“Guys Northern Virginia Fairfax feels the impact of Trump’s policy. I want to say we are at the forefront of the Trump economy here. Everyone in Fairfax knows someone, maybe someone on their street, maybe the parents of the kid’s football team, who are out of work because of Doge or Trump policies. ”
James Walkinshaw, the Democratic nominee for the 11th Congressional Special Election in Virginia, was interviewed on September 8, 2025 with Fox News Digital Numbers in Burke, Virginia. (Paul Steinhauser-Fox News)
Walkinshaw, a member of the Fairfax County Oversight Board, previously served as Connolly’s Chief of Staff, argued: “If Trump’s policies continue, tariffs, the so-called big and beautiful Bill, it will be a situation across the country. So, I think we think tomorrow’s voters will make statements about this information.”
Whitson also said Trump was due to “many of the great policies he has been advocating”, which was the focus of the campaign.
Whitson, a veteran and former FBI agent who runs federal affairs for a conservative think tank, told Fox News Digital, “People who are unemployed or worried about unemployed in our area don’t need empathy. They need solutions.”
He said Walkinshaw claimed: “He will fight Trump with the president and fight the administration. My move to voters in our area is: Is this to help? Will it help improve the situation? The answer is no.”
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“We need someone to represent the people we can work with, whether Republican or Democrats,” Whitson stressed.
While Trump is not very popular in the region – the president won only 31% of the vote in the White House reelection last year – Whitson said Trump’s policy “centered on … common sense.”
Fox News’s Kiera McDonald contributed to the report.
