Rep. Gerry Connolly says he won’t seek reelection, will step back “soon” as Oversight ranking member

Washington — Rep. Gerry Connolly announced on Monday he won’t seek reelection in 2026 and plans to step back “soon” from his post as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. 

The long-serving Virginia Democrat said his cancer had returned.  

“When I announced my diagnosis six months ago, I promised transparency,” Connolly said in an open letter to his constituents Monday. “After grueling treatments, we’ve learned that the cancer, while initially beaten back, has now returned.”

Connolly, 75, said he will “do everything possible to continue to represent” his constituents for the remainder of his term, adding that the “sun is setting on my time in public service.”

“With no rancor and a full heart, I move into this final chapter full of pride in what we’ve accomplished together over 30 years,” Connolly added. 

The Virginia Democrat first came to Congress in 2009. In November, Connolly announced he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and planned to promptly undergo chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

In December, Democrats elected Connolly to serve as the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, beating out Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York for the post on the powerful panel. Connolly’s elevation to ranking member places him in line to chair the Oversight Committee if Democrats retake the House in 2026.

Connolly’s announcement could prompt a generational shift at the top of the Oversight Committee, after a push for a younger crop of Democratic committee leaders late last year as the party sought to combat GOP control of both chambers. Ocasio-Cortez no longer serves on the panel, but other prominent Democrats may look to mount a bid for the top post in the near future.