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Republicans and Democrats across Virginia’s 11th Congressional District will choose their nominees June 28 for a special election that could affect the narrow balance of power in the U.S. House.

The Sept. 9, 2025, election will fill the seat left vacant by the death of Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly. The district includes the City of Fairfax and most of Fairfax County.

As of June 20, 10 Democrats and seven Republicans were competing for their parties’ nominations. An independent candidate also was expected to appear on the September ballot.

Republicans held 220 House seats as of June 20, compared with 213 for Democrats, with three vacancies following the deaths of Connolly and Democratic Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona and Sylvester Turner of Texas.

When and where Republicans can vote

The Republican canvass will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 28 at Fairfax High School.

Early voting is scheduled from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 27, in Room 7 of the Fairfax County Government Center.

Seven candidates are seeking the Republican nomination:

  • Karina Lipsman came to the United States as a child refugee from the former Soviet Union. Her career has included national security work, advising U.S. leaders and working with defense contractors. She works for the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and was appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to the Office of New Americans Advisory Board. Her campaign emphasizes economic freedom, public safety and national security.

  • Nathan Headrick is an entrepreneur and investment-fund executive who lives in Great Falls with his wife and five children. He holds a master’s degree from Harvard University and a law degree from Georgetown University. His platform calls for lower taxes, stronger communities, personal freedom, more effective government and reduced spending.

  • Mike Van Meter is a Burke resident, addiction counselor and former law-enforcement officer. He previously served with Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department and joined the FBI in 1999. His campaign focuses on border security, crime reduction, the economy and education.

  • Lucas Rand is a decorated military veteran, hospital administrator, husband and father. He holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is campaigning on lower taxes, reduced government waste, improved health care and what he describes as servant leadership.

  • Sam Wong is a third-generation Army veteran who served for 28 years, including on combat tours and diplomatic assignments, and received the Bronze Star Medal. A small-business owner and longtime Veterans of Foreign Wars post commander, Wong points to his overseas experience and background in foreign policy, business and community service.

  • Stewart Whitson is a Great Falls resident, Army combat veteran and former FBI special agent. He works as a senior director of federal affairs at a conservative think tank. His priorities include the economy, public safety and eliminating waste, fraud and abuse.

  • Arthur Purves is a retired computer programmer who moved to Vienna in 1976. He has led the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance for 27 years and has served with several community organizations and county advisory groups. A perennial candidate, Purves holds three degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.

Democrats offer more voting locations

The Democratic unassembled caucus will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 28 at 17 locations. Registered voters from the 11th District may cast a ballot at any designated caucus site.

Democratic early voting will run from 3 to 8 p.m. June 24, 25 and 26 at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax.

Ten candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination:

  • James R. Walkinshaw represents the Braddock District on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and previously served for more than a decade as Connolly’s chief of staff. Connolly endorsed Walkinshaw as his preferred successor in May. Walkinshaw’s priorities include reducing gun violence, protecting immigrants’ rights, expanding affordable housing, supporting Ukraine and defending democratic institutions.

  • Stella G. Pekarsky, a Virginia state senator and former Fairfax County School Board chair, is the daughter of working-class Greek immigrants. Her campaign highlights her work on consumer protections and public-school funding. She has also emphasized support for federal workers, inclusive curricula and local control of schools.

  • Candice Bennett is an at-large Fairfax County planning commissioner, deputy executive director at Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services, Virginia Housing Board member and small-business owner. Her platform includes protecting federal workers and benefit programs, expanding affordable housing, restricting congressional stock trading and pursuing voting reforms.

  • Amy Roma is an attorney specializing in energy policy. She supports federal investment in advanced nuclear fission and fusion, artificial intelligence and responsible cryptocurrency innovation. Her campaign also emphasizes national security, congressional oversight and protecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

  • Leo J. Martínez Nucete is a former Venezuelan congressman who says his family faced asset seizures, attacks, attempted kidnappings and threats of imprisonment. A Harvard Law School and Princeton University graduate, he has worked for the U.S. Department of Commerce and advocated for human rights and small businesses. His campaign centers on defending democracy and expanding opportunities for working families.

  • Irene Shin, the daughter of Korean immigrants, serves in the Virginia House of Delegates. Her priorities include establishing regulations for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, raising taxes on billionaires and corporations, examining consolidation in health care, regulating gig work, raising the federal minimum wage and strengthening workplace protections.

  • Amy Papanu is a former CIA operations officer whose career also included work with the FBI and State Department. She served in Baghdad on counterterrorism strategy and hostage operations. Her campaign priorities include protecting the federal workforce, Social Security and Medicare; strengthening the middle class; defending reproductive rights; supporting small businesses; and reducing gun violence.

  • Dan Lee holds degrees in biological sciences, public health and business. The son of a working immigrant family, he presents himself as part of a new generation outside the established political class. His campaign stresses economic pressures on families and opposition to President Donald Trump’s agenda.

  • Dr. Priya Punnoose is a child psychiatrist who trained at Central Michigan University and Children’s National Hospital after earning her medical degree from the American University of Antigua. Her campaign focuses on how gun violence, disease outbreaks, job insecurity, immigration enforcement and political turmoil affect children.

  • Ross William Branstetter IV is campaigning for passage of the Basic Rights Amendment and Equal Rights Amendment. He also supports guaranteeing due process for people imprisoned without a public trial in Cuba.

The Republican and Democratic winners will advance to the Sept. 9 special election, where voters will decide who completes the representation of Virginia’s 11th District in Congress.