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U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, a longtime Northern Virginia political leader who spent decades in public service, died Wednesday, May 21, at age 75.
His family said Connolly died peacefully at home early Wednesday while surrounded by relatives.
Connolly was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in November 2024 and underwent chemotherapy and immunotherapy. In April, he announced that the cancer had returned and that his current term in Congress would be his last.
“The sun is setting on my time in public service,” Connolly wrote to constituents on April 28, reflecting with pride on more than 30 years in government.
Connolly served for 14 years on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, including five years as chairman. During that time, he helped advance the campaign for the rail line to Dulles, now part of Metro’s Silver Line.
He later represented Northern Virginia in Congress, becoming the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Before holding elected office, he spent 10 years working for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
His legislative priorities ranged from climate change, clean energy and gun violence to immigration and foreign policy. Connolly also supported measures intended to protect service members and veterans from predatory fees, improve Department of Veterans Affairs services, expand treatment funding for battlefield brain injuries and help military families relocating to new duty stations.
Among his major legislative achievements was the bipartisan Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act, co-authored with Rep. Darrell Issa. Signed into law in 2014, it marked the first major overhaul of federal IT management laws since 1996.
Connolly also worked on postal reform, efforts to establish the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission and initiatives supporting the federal workforce. One of his final news releases, issued May 8, called with other lawmakers for the immediate resumption of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
His extensive foreign-policy work included serving as president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and co-chairing congressional caucuses focused on Korea, Georgia, Morocco, Taiwan and U.S.-Turkey relations. He participated in the House Democracy Partnership and served on subcommittees covering the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
Connolly was born Gerald Edward Connolly on March 30, 1950. He earned a bachelor’s degree in literature from Maryknoll College in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University in 1979. He also worked in the nonprofit and private sectors, including businesses involved in technology, global trade and government contracting.
Sen. Mark Warner remembered Connolly as a tenacious public servant whose energy and commitment made him a powerful advocate for Northern Virginia. Rep. Don Beyer highlighted Connolly’s work on the Silver Line, the Cross County Trail, postal reform, Metro safety and protections for federal employees. Beyer also recalled Connolly’s warmth, wit and involvement with the Providence Players of Fairfax community theater.
Connolly is survived by his wife, Cathy “Smitty” Smith, and daughter, Caitlin Rose. Funeral arrangements are pending.