Special Election Set for House Seat of Late Rep. Connolly of Virginia

Connolly, who died May 21, had endorsed his former chief of staff, James Walkinshaw, to succeed him in the heavily Democratic district.

(L-R) U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) applauds as U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who is up for reelection in Virginia's 11th Congressional district, waves to the crowd during a Get Out the Vote rally for Democratic candidates, in Alexandria, Va., on Nov. 3, 2014. Connolly has held his seat since 2008. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

WASHINGTON—A special election will be held Sept. 9 for the U.S. House seat in Virginia vacated by the late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who died last month at age 75.

Connolly, who died May 21, was first elected to the House in 2008 and served for eight terms representing the state’s 11th Congressional District, which covers the Washington, D.C., suburbs of Fairfax County, Reston, and parts of McLean. At the time of his death, Connolly was the ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the House’s principal investigative body that seeks to hold the executive branch accountable, beating Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in the election for that role.