Article Text
James Walkinshaw secured the Democratic nomination for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District on June 28, advancing to a special election against Republican nominee Stewart Whitson after a stark difference in party turnout.
Whitson, a Great Falls resident, former FBI agent and U.S. Army combat veteran, emerged from a seven-candidate Republican canvass that closed at 4 p.m. He received 1,019 of the 2,601 votes cast.
Walkinshaw won the 10-candidate Democratic contest, which closed at 7 p.m., with 23,537 votes. A total of 39,444 Democratic ballots were cast, giving him nearly 60% of the vote.
Democratic turnout exceeded Republican participation by 36,843 voters. District residents could vote in only one party’s contest.
Virginia’s heavily Democratic 11th District includes most of Fairfax County and all of the City of Fairfax.
Walkinshaw represents the Braddock District on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and is serving his second term. He previously spent more than a decade as chief of staff to Rep. Gerry Connolly, who endorsed him as his preferred successor.
Walkinshaw lives in the Truro neighborhood with his wife, Yvette, and their son, Mateo.
“I’m honored and humbled to have earned the Democratic nomination for the district I’ve spent my career serving,” Walkinshaw said. He credited neighbors, volunteers and supporters, while also thanking the nine other Democrats who entered the race.
Whitson celebrated what he called a “Big WIN” and said he was prepared to fight for the district’s residents and families while helping President Donald Trump pursue the America First agenda.
During the campaign, Walkinshaw cast himself as an opponent of Trump. He also highlighted his work alongside Connolly to protect the Affordable Care Act and support federal employees.
The two nominees have 73 days to campaign before the Sept. 9 special election. The winner will complete Connolly’s term following the congressman’s death from esophageal cancer on May 21.
Fairfax GOP Chair Katie Gorka praised the Republican candidates after voting ended and called on the party to unite behind Whitson.
Manish Singh, chair of the 11th Congressional District Democratic Committee, described the Democratic campaign as intense and competitive. He said early-voting turnout demonstrated the party’s energy ahead of the special election.
Long lines formed at multiple Democratic voting sites as temperatures reached about 90 degrees amid high humidity. In Herndon, the line at the library wrapped around the building and extended outside.
A voter at the Fairfax County Government Center reported joining an unusually long midday line and said another voter had waited an hour. One person compared the crowd with the lines at Disney World.
The special election marks the district’s first open-seat race since 2008, giving Republicans a rare opportunity to compete without an incumbent. The district’s recent results, however, strongly favored Democrats: Connolly received 66.68% of its vote in 2024, while Kamala Harris carried the district with 65.4%. Harris won Virginia statewide with 51.83%.