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Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly has died at age 75
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The influential congressman recently announced he was not seeking reelection after discovering that his esophageal cancer had returned
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He is the third House Democrat to die in office since the new Congress convened in January
Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly died at the age of 75, weeks after announcing that his esophageal cancer had returned despite “grueling” treatments since his diagnosis in 2024.
“It is with immense sadness that we share that our devoted and loving father, husband, brother, friend, and public servant, Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, passed away peacefully at his home this morning surrounded by family,” Connolly’s family shared in a statement on X on Wednesday, May 21.
The family noted that Connolly “lived his life to give back to others and make our community better.”
Calling the politician a “fierce defender of democracy,” the Connolly family added, “his legacy now colors our region.”
Kevin Dietsch/Getty
Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly speaks at a gun control vigil in 2022.
Connolly is the third Democratic congressman to die since March, only a few months into the new congressional term.
Texas Rep. Sylvester Turner, who had previously disclosed a bone cancer diagnosis, died shortly after attending President Donald Trump’s address to Congress in March. Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva died several days later due to complications from cancer treatments.
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Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly speaks in Washington D.C. in February 2025.
Connolly announced in April that he would not be seeking another term in Congress due to the return of his cancer, which he first disclosed after the November election.
At the same time, he shared that his plans to step down from his leadership position as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, a role he’d held since January after beating out New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in an internal vote.
“The sun is setting on my time in public service,” Connolly said in an April statement. “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.”
Days before his death, Connolly expressed his sadness over the news of former President Joe Biden’s stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis on May 18.
“Deeply saddened to learn of my friend Joe Biden’s diagnosis,” he wrote on X. “My heart is with him and the entire Biden family as he fights this terrible disease.”
Connolly is survived by his wife, Cathy, and their daughter, Caitlin.
Read the original article on People
