Democrats vying to succeed the late Rep. Gerry Connolly in a deep-blue northern Virginia district are zeroing in on one situation: who can greatest tackle President Donald Trump.
In his announcement video, former Connolly chief of workers and Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw mentioned Trump officers threatened to throw him in jail, referring to letters despatched to native officers in so-called sanctuary jurisdictions final December that threatened jail time for supporting and imposing sanctuary legal guidelines.
State Sen. Stella Pekarsky’s launch video touts her Greek heritage, which she mentioned helps her “stand as much as Donald Trump.” And state Del. Irene Shin mentioned Democrats are operating the “standard drained performs” whereas Trump is “dismembering and defunding our authorities.”
Trump has performed a key position within the race as Democrats go on the offensive over his mass deportation program and Division of Authorities Effectivity initiative to chop the scale of the federal authorities — in a district stuffed with federal employees, the place then-Vice President Kamala Harris beat Trump by 34 factors final fall.
Democratic voters head to the polls Saturday following three days of early voting in a party-run particular major that began Tuesday. The winner will probably be a heavy favourite within the Sept. 9 particular common election to fill the rest of the two-year time period Connolly received final yr.
Walkinshaw earned an endorsement from Connolly on this race earlier than he died. He mentioned when he acquired the letter from high Trump adviser Stephen Miller’s authorized group in late December, he “ripped it up and put it within the trash can.”
“I didn’t assume it deserved a response,” he mentioned.
Trump’s dismantling of the federal forms has change into a high situation within the federal worker-heavy district. Virginia’s eleventh Congressional District has the fifth-most federal employees out of all 435, with almost 52,000, in accordance with a Congressional Analysis Service evaluation of Census Bureau information.
“There’s a number of stress and nervousness created by the reckless Trump administration actions, whether or not it’s DOGE or freezing of federal contracts or eliminating federal contracts,” Walkinshaw mentioned.
Walkinshaw mentioned his tenure as Connolly’s chief of workers from 2009 to 2019 gave him an inside look into key coverage battles, just like the passing of the Inexpensive Care Act in 2010 and the primary Trump administration’s effort to repeal it in 2017.
“I’ve been via these battles in Congress with the Trump administration earlier than, and I believe I’m greatest ready to do it now on behalf of our district,” he mentioned.
Pekarsky mentioned her state Senate workplace began getting calls the week Trump took workplace in January from federal employees involved about their job safety.
“They didn’t know what they have been going to do as soon as DOGE got here in there indiscriminately and simply terrorize our federal workforce,” she mentioned.
Pekarsky mentioned she has a historical past of taking up “huge” fights, pointing to her time on the Fairfax County Faculty Board, the place she mentioned she “battled” Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin over his trainer “snitch line” and different schooling points.
“I understand how to tackle the massive fights, however I understand how to work with folks as nicely, and I’m any person who simply places her head down and elevates the pursuits of my constituents above every thing else,” she mentioned.
Shin, a state delegate, mentioned voters need “generational change” as an alternative of “doing the identical outdated factor again and again” and that Democrats have to face for extra than simply opposition to Trump.
Shin mentioned there isn’t sufficient “distinction” between Democrats and Republicans, pointing to the Home Democrats who voted for the Laken Riley Act in addition to a decision condemning the Boulder, Colorado, assault that included language expressing “gratitude” for ICE brokers.
“Democrats standing up and saying we’re going to battle Trump is the naked minimal,” she mentioned. “I believe what voters are in search of is a imaginative and prescient for what comes afterwards.”
Shin mentioned Congress ought to codify protections for federal employees so a “future president can’t are available and fireplace a whole lot of 1000’s of individuals simply on vibes.”
Different Democratic candidates embody Amy Roma, an lawyer; Leo Martínez, a former Venezuelan politician; Candice Bennett, a neighborhood planning commissioner; Amy Papanu, a former CIA operations officer; Dan Lee, a well being care entrepreneur; Dr. Priya Punnoose, a psychiatrist; and Ross William Branstetter IV.
“Donald Trump is dismantling the federal government piece by piece. We have to cease him,” Roma mentioned within the opening of her tv advert.
Walkinshaw, Pekarsky and Shin are the one candidates to attract spending from outdoors teams. Battle for Virginia’s Future and the pro-crypto Shield Progress have spent $2.4 million supporting Walkinshaw. Save Democracy PAC has spent over $160,000 supporting Pekarsky, and Folks Over Monopolies has spent virtually $184,000 supporting Shin.
Former Democratic Nationwide Committee Vice Chair David Hogg’s group Leaders We Deserve endorsed Shin, although a spokesperson for the group mentioned it didn’t spend any cash on the race because of the “quick timeline.”
Walkinshaw leads the pack in high-profile endorsements. Along with getting Connolly’s backing, Reps. Don Beyer and Eugene Vindman have endorsed Walkinshaw, as has former Rep. Jennifer Wexton.
State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in Virginia, endorsed Shin. Pekarsky boasts endorsements from high state Senate Democrats Scott Surovell and Louise Lucas.
Republicans are holding their very own canvass on Saturday to determine their nominee, who will probably be a heavy underdog within the particular common election. Seven GOP candidates are operating.
