A special election to fill the U.S. House seat vacated by Rep. Gerry Connolly's death last month will be held Sept. 9, Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday.
Connolly, an outspoken Democrat, represented Virginia's 11th Congressional District. He served in Congress for more than 16 years before his death on May 21 at age 75.
In announcing the special election, Youngkin said July 11 would be the last day for a person to file as a candidate.
Virginia's 11th district is considered deep blue and expected to elect another Democrat, Politico reported.
James Walkinshaw, Braddock District supervisor and Connolly's former chief of staff, has said he will run for the seat, WUSA9 reported. Connolly endorsed Walkinshaw for the job.
Five other Democrats and two Republicans have announced they're running to replace Connolly.
Virginia's special election will be the third this fall — joining ones in Texas and Arizona — to fill vacancies left by the passing of Democrat lawmakers. Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas, and Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., who both died in March.
Connolly, who battled esophageal cancer, was ranking member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee at the time of his death.
Local government experience launched Connolly's congressional career. He was elected in 2008 after flipping an open GOP-held seat by nearly 42,000 votes. In his victory speech, Connolly said he would use his position to ensure the federal bureaucracy is "a responsive, accountable instrument for the people we serve."
Connolly said in late April that after "grueling treatments," he learned that the cancer had returned and that he decided to step down from his post on the committee and would not seek reelection.
"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," he said.
The Associated Press contributed this story.
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