Latest news with #GerryConnolly
Telegraph
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Revealed: How the Democrats' age problem goes far beyond Biden
When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez set her sights on becoming the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, the old guard quickly coalesced around her opponent. Gerry Connolly, a then 74-year-old eight-term Virginia congressman who had recently been diagnosed with cancer, had powerful allies. Among them was former speaker Nancy Pelosi, 85, who reportedly made calls on his behalf. The old guard prevailed. Mr Connolly beat his 35-year-old challenger with 131 votes to 84. Speaking after his victory he said his colleagues had been looking for 'somebody capable, irrespective of how old they are'. Five months later he stepped down from the role, saying his oesophageal cancer had returned. He passed away just weeks later, aged 75. He was the third sitting Democrat to die this year. David Cohen, political science professor at the University of Akron said the oversight committee race was a 'beautiful example of the Democratic party House leadership being completely out of touch'. ' Ocasio Cortez is an excellent spokesperson and somebody that's young, energetic... she seemed like the perfect person to pick to chair that committee, and yet they went with the person that was very sick and who later died,' he said. Had the Democrats gained a narrow House majority in 2024, they would have lost it anyway through their politicians dying within the first few months of the congressional term. While the issue of ageing political leaders is not unique to the Democrats – Donald Trump is the oldest president elected in US history – it is one that is causing increased tensions. Joe Biden's public decline saw the octogenarian drop out of the presidential race following his devastating debate performance. In May, it was revealed that he was suffering from prostate cancer. The diagnosis, which coincided with a tell-all book detailing an alleged cover-up at the White House of the ailing president's cognitive decline, sparked a flurry of conspiracy theories that Mr Biden may have been seriously unwell during his presidency. The public fiasco has left the Democrats, already grappling with a ' gerontocracy ' showing no signs of stepping aside to make way for younger talent, smarting over its handling of its ageing heavyweights. Of the 20 oldest House members elected in 2024, 16 were Democrats. Nine of the 14 Senators aged 75 or over at the start of Congress were also Democrats. More than half of the House Democrats who are 75 or older told Axios they planned to run again in 2026, including Maxine Waters, 86, and Rosa DeLauro, who is 82. Politico recounted multiple reports of Eleanor Holmes Norton, 87, the oldest House member, and a Democrat telling journalists she will be running for another term in 2026, only for her office to say that is not the case. Of the 41 sitting Congress members who have died of natural causes since 2000, two thirds were Democrats. The votes of the three Democrats who died this year, Mr Connolly, Sylvester Turner, 70, and Raúl Grijalva, 77, could have stopped Mr Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' scraping through its first vote in May at 214 to 215. 'It's complete and total political malpractice of the Democratic Party to essentially support and allow these folks to run for re-election when they were so old and infirm and in some cases, terminally ill, knowing... that the numbers were so close between the two parties,' Mr Cohen told The Telegraph. 'I think the Republicans have done a better job at embracing some of their younger members, whereas Democrats seem to have a very seniority based view of how things should proceed,' he said. Republicans are no strangers to the ageing politician, however. In 2023, concerns were raised about Mitch McConnell's fitness to serve after he appeared to freeze twice in front of reporters within several weeks. The then 81-year-old stared blankly in silence after reporters asked him questions at separate press conferences. He later resigned. Last year it was revealed Kay Granger, 82, a Republican congresswoman from Texas, had been struggling with memory issues and living in a senior-living facility towards the end of her tenure in office. But there are several underlying issues at play that make age more of an issue for Democrats. If an incumbent decides to run for re-election, especially in safe Democrat seats, their chances being defeated are low. House Republicans also have term limits for top committee posts, which forces them to move into new roles every six years. 'That's the best time for them to go into the lobby, if that's what they're going to do. Otherwise, maybe go be with their grandkids, but they can't just stay forever as a leader of a committee until they literally die in office,' Gregory Koger, political science professor at the University of Miami, told The Telegraph. Democrats don't have limits. This means they can stay in plum roles as long as they continue to win elections. After facing calls to resign from fellow Democrats, in 2023 Dianne Feinstein, a California senator, temporarily stepped down from her role as the ranking member of the judiciary committee. She died five months later, aged 90. After the Republicans were beaten in the 2008 election, the party 'melted down' and the anti-incumbency Tea Party movement ascended, Mr Koger said. The Democratic party could now see their own version of this rebellion, he added, but they may not have the strengths the Republican movement capitalised on in 2010. 'We could definitely see candidates rising up, challenging incumbents, but it's not clear if there will be organisational backing, if they'll have enough funding, if they'll get professional consultants to help them out,' Mr Koger said. The wheels appear to already be in motion, with a raft of next-generation Democrats launching campaigns to challenge ageing incumbents. Saikat Chakrabarti, 39, a former chief of staff for Ms Ocasio-Cortez, has already said he will challenge Ms Pelosi in the primary, although the California Democrat has not confirmed whether she will seek re-election in 2026. Zohran Mamdani, 33, is also being hailed as a potential saviour for the party after winning the Democratic nomination for the New York mayoral election last month. 'I think everyone's running their own race for different reasons, but they're all kind of running against those long term incumbents who aren't serving the district anymore, and that's kind of the single thread', said Jake Rakov, who has launched a campaign to unseat his former boss Brad Sherman, a 70-year-old California congressman. 'He just does not have, to me, the credentials to say 'I've been here 30 years, keep sending me back', because what can you show for it?', Mr Rakov told The Telegraph. Mr Rakov has pledged to cap his service at five terms, 10 years in Congress, saying he does not believe in 'lifelong appointment'. The cap 'keeps a lid on our talent bench,' he argues. 'We've had three [congressmen] die since January... We've lost votes in the House... Obviously, if we had people who could stay in office and not pass away, we would have possibly changed that calculus a lot,' he said. He added: 'Our party has had such a problem, I think with that by default incumbency protection, that if you're the incumbent no one else should be allowed to challenge you and I think Republicans did a better job of understanding and supporting primary challenges.' Mr Rakov's campaign came after David Hogg, 25, the former vice-chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) vowed to unseat 'asleep-at-the-wheel' Democrats. Mr Hogg was ousted from his position after pledging to spend $20 million (£15 million) in Democratic primaries to topple 'asleep at the wheel' incumbents. A source close to Leaders We Deserve told The Telegraph: 'The tactics that make you successful right now in 2025 are quite different from the tactics that would make you successful in the early 90s.' Noting that the Democrats had lost critical votes owing to people dying in office, he added: 'It's just we very much can see what happens when people keep hanging on and refuse to recognise when it's their time to step aside totally.' Michael Binder, a political science professor at the University of North Florida said 'every single race matters' when the House margins are so thin. There are only a couple of dozen competitive races and older politicians tend to already be in a safe Democrat seat. 'But if somebody dies at the last minute and that leaves an open seat where somebody doesn't have the name recognition to and the incumbency advantage, it could cost them [the Democrats] a seat they don't expect it could be really meaningful,' he said.
Fox News
02-07-2025
- Business
- Fox News
‘Don't Maryland my Virginia': Youngkin, 2025 GOP ticket rallies together for first time ahead of key election
TYSONS CORNER, Va. – Outgoing Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin headlined a major rally Monday for the statewide Republican ticket in the 2025 election, visiting the heavily-Democratic confines of Fairfax County to deliver their message and draw contrasts between themselves and blue states like their trans-Potomac neighbor. Youngkin, his potential successor, GOP nominee Winsome Earle-Sears, lieutenant gubernatorial nominee John Reid, Attorney General Jason Miyares and former FBI Agent Stewart Whitson; the Republican hoping to win a major upset for the late Rep. Gerry Connolly's seat, all spoke to a crowd of more than 500 that packed into the sweltering Vienna fire hall on Monday. "Are you ready to sweep?" Youngkin fired up the crowd, hearkening back multiple times to his own sweep in 2021, when he, Earle-Sears and Miyares all won upset victories against former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who was leading the Democratic ticket then. Youngkin said he and the statewide candidates assembled all proved that Virginia could bounce back from the McAuliffe-Northam era, which he characterized as pockmarked by COVID-19 lockdowns, and businesses and families fleeing the state. "The last time the Democrats had full control of the commonwealth of Virginia, they tried to turn her into California. Or as Winsome said, maybe even Maryland," Youngkin said, contrasting the Old Dominion with the Old Line State in terms of taxation, education and business-friendly environs. Youngkin said that since about the end of the administration of Gov. Bob McDonnell in 2014, Virginia progressively sank to the bottom third of the U.S. in job growth, and a decade straight of more people leaving than moving in. "Don't Maryland my Virginia," he said. Across the Potomac, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has been widely rumored as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, while Republicans, including predecessor Larry Hogan, have criticized tax hikes and budget woes. Fox News Digital reached out to Moore for a response to Youngkin. Both Youngkin and Earle-Sears had just returned from the Monday ribbon-cutting of the country's now-northernmost Buc-ee's travel center near Harrisonburg, which the duo said proved Virginia is "open for business" and added hundreds of jobs in Rockingham County. That theme carried into Wednesday, as Earle-Sears pledged to build on the past four years of progress and focus on convincing rural communities that Richmond hasn't forgotten them. There were also references made to New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist from Queens. Earle-Sears warned that some candidates in Virginia in this year's election are espousing "ideas… that are socialist in nature." Virginia's GOP ticket is notably diverse, with Earle-Sears, Reid – who would be the first gay statewide officeholder – and Miyares, who is of Cuban descent. Outside the fire hall, amid sporadic thundershowers and incredible humidity, a few dozen left-wing demonstrators utilized a megaphone to protest the event, holding signs and banners claiming Republicans are trying to kill Medicaid. Also in attendance was Whitson, who has a major climb to defeat Connolly confidant and Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw. But the ex-G-man was upbeat, saying Democrats who ushered in years of "destructive" policies like DEI and reckless spending have "destroyed our economy," and the folks in the Washington suburbs he hopes to represent are realizing that as well. "It's time for us to have a U.S. congressman in Northern Virginia who actually cares about the people and the issues that matter," he said. Miyares reflected on the changes he's seen under four years of Republican control of the executive branch, quipping that Virginia in 2021 had been "like when you watch those mafia movies and the guy wakes up in the trunk of the Buick and he doesn't know where he's headed, but he knows it's not a good final destination." Reid called Wednesday "commitment day," as he spoke before the assembled GOP ticket. Miyares faces Del. Jerrauld "Jay" Jones, D-Norfolk, Reid faces state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, and Earle-Sears faces former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va, in the general election.
Axios
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Late lawmaker posts raise questions about digital life after death
Social media users were stunned last week when Rep. Gerry Connolly 's (D-Va.) social media accounts shared a post — weeks after his death. But he's far from the only public figure whose online presence doesn't rest in peace. The big picture: The ethical questions stretch beyond Washington, underscoring important cybersecurity and legal considerations about what happens to our digital legacies after we die. It's not just Democrats whose accounts have seemingly posted from beyond: In 2020, conservative businessman Herman Cain's Twitter posted a story questioning the mortality rate of COVID-19 — the month after he died due to coronavirus complications. There's no official process for handling lawmakers' social media accounts if they die in office, Politico recently reported. Private citizens share that difficult and relatively novel question of how to handle social media accounts after their loved one dies — and how to safeguard them from being hacked or compromised by scammers. Zoom out: When someone dies, they leave behind a web of assets, which include their digital legacy, but the process of shutting down or preserving accounts varies by platform. On Facebook, individuals can submit the account owner's death certificate and documentation confirming they are an immediate family member or executor to have an account deleted. Accounts can also be memorialized, in which case they can be looked over by " legacy contacts." Instagram will also memorialize accounts with a valid request, which requires proof of death, and says it will delete accounts if requested by verified immediate family members with proper documentation. X will work with individuals authorized to act on behalf of the estate or with a verified immediate family member to have an account deactivated in the case of the user's death. By the numbers: A 2019 study from Oxford researchers projected that if Facebook continued to attract new users at the rate it was some six years ago, 4.9 billion users will have passed away before 2100. State of play: Most states have enacted a law that governs how fiduciaries can manage the digital lives of deceased or incapacitated people. But typically, to get those rights, it has to be affirmatively assigned in the will, said Retirement Watch editor Bob Carlson, who has written about protecting digital estates from hacking. "It's just like any other asset, and if you don't lay out the rules for it, then either someone else is going to set out the rules, or there aren't going to be any rules at all," he said. Threat level: Cybercriminals may prey on people's identities after they die, a process known as "ghost hacking," by compromising a deceased individual's social media accounts, which are less likely to be consistently monitored. Hackers can alert friends or family of the deceased person with spam or scams — but they're often also after personal information that can be used to obtain access to other accounts. "It can lead to just a big stockpile of information for the thieves," Carlson said. The bottom line: For public officials and private citizens alike, there is no clear-cut answer on how to handle someone's social media presence after they die.
Washington Post
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Democrats' pick to replace Rep. Connolly wants to carry forward his legacy
In the crowded primary to replace Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Virginia) in Congress, there was only one Democrat who could claim much of a link to the late longtime congressman: Fairfax County Supervisor James R. Walkinshaw. As the popular lawmaker's chief of staff for a decade, Walkinshaw, 42, had long been seen as a likely successor in Virginia's 11th Congressional District — even well before Connolly's death opened up this seat in the D.C. suburbs. With support from Connolly and the broad political coalition he had built across Fairfax, Walkinshaw managed to win almost 60 percent of the vote in Saturday's election against nine other candidates.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Whitson vs. Walkinshaw to fill seat of late Rep. Gerry Connolly
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) — The stage is set for who will face each other in the fall to fill the remaining term of Representative Gerry Connolly. James Walkinshaw won Saturday's Democratic primary, while Stewart Whitson captured the Republican nomination. Walkinshaw spent 11 years as Connolly's chief-of-staff and received his endorsement after Connolly announced in April he would not seek another term after his esophageal cancer returned last November. Connolly passed away in May at the age of 75. PHOTOS: Amazon truck catches fire in Arlington Walkinshaw also serves on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, representing the Braddock District. 'I've seen he said that he [Whitson] wants to go to Washington to be Donald Trump's ally. That he wants to make those in the DOGE cuts permanent. And I couldn't disagree more,' Walkinshaw said. 'Frankly, I think that's insulting to Fairfax families who have been harmed by Donald Trump and harmed by those. And I want to go to Washington to put the brakes on Trump's reckless agenda Whitson has never run for political office. He's an Army veteran and a retired FBI agent. Whitson says he's spent the last four years pushing the conservative agenda before Congress. 'The people in my district are ready for change; they're ready for lower gas prices. They're lower, ready for affordable groceries. They're ready for strong leadership that'll fix the economy,' Whitson said. 'And so looking at this race, looking at both sides, the candidates on both sides, I didn't see a person that could offer. You know that kind of background.' Voters will decide who fills the remainder of Rep. Connolly's term on September 9. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
