(Headline USA) Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia announced on Monday he is stepping down as the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight Committee and will not be seeking reelection next year due to his cancer returning, ending his long career in public life.
Connolly, 75, has served in Congress since 2009 and represents northern Virginia, including Fairfax County. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a statement that Connolly has been a “relentless advocate for the incredible civil servants” in his district during the Trump administration’s “unprecedented attacks on federal employees.”
Connolly announced late last year that he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and would undergo chemotherapy and immunotherapy. He said that after “grueling treatments,” he learned that the cancer has returned.
Concerns about Connolly’s health were a factor late last year as he ran for the top ranking position on Oversight, one of the most prominent committees in Congress.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., ran against Connolly for the job but was defeated as the majority of Democrats opted to stick with the seniority system. Connolly has served on the Oversight Committee for more than 16 years.
His retirement announcement follows numerous high-profile Democrats dying in office.
Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., passed away last month—making him the second Democrat to die in office in as many weeks. Grijalva died of complications from cancer treatment, his office said in a statement. The treatments had sidelined him from Congress in recent months.
He stepped down as the top Democrat on the Natural Resources committee earlier this year, after announcing that he planned to retire rather than run for reelection in 2026.
Another Democratic House member, Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas, died a week before Grijalva from health issues.
Turner, in turn, had replaced U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who died last July after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
