Battle Begins for Open House Seat Long Held by Democrats

Following last week’s “firehouse primaries” in the race to fill a critical open seat in the tightly divided U.S. House of Representatives, the Virginia Democratic and Republican parties have chosen their nominees for a Sept. 9 special election.

Republican nominee Stewart Whitson, an Army combat veteran and former FBI special agent, will face Democratic nominee James Walkinshaw, who previously served as chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. Connolly’s death in May left open a seat that was long held by Democrats.

Whitson kicked off his campaign June 12 and secured over 1,000 votes to win the Republican primary, with runner-up Karina Lipsman coming in with a little over 600 votes. The Republican nominee highlighted the need for his party to energize its base and take back its seat in the U.S. House.

“The people in the 11th [Congressional] District are ready for change,” Whitson told The Daily Signal. “They’re ready for lower taxes, affordable groceries, and safer communities, and they’re tired of wasteful spending.”

Whitson said he thinks more people will vote Republican because his party is focusing on issues “they actually care about.”

“If you are happy with everything that happened under the previous administration, then you should vote for Walkinshaw, my opponent, because … that’s his whole platform, is just to be, you know, to do what Connolly did,” Whitson said. “But if you aren’t happy with that, if you’re looking for someone who’s going to fight for you, to protect you and your family, then you should vote for me.”

Walkinshaw said he is “honored and humbled” to have secured the Democratic nomination to represent Virginia’s 11th Congressional District.

“This victory was powered by neighbors, volunteers, and supporters who believe in protecting our democracy, defending our liberties, and delivering for working families,” Walkinshaw said in a statement following Saturday’s results.

In an interview with radio host Larry O’Connor Monday, Whitson challenged Walkinshaw to a debate.

“My opponent claims he’s all about democracy. And, so, if he means that, then he should definitely be open to a debate,” Whitson said. “I offered to do it anytime, anywhere—and even if he wants to have a left-wing moderator who will spin questions, throw him softball questions, and try to trip me up—I’m fine with that, because I know that this is not going to be a fair fight, but I don’t need it to be a fair fight to win.”

The Daily Signal reached out to Walkinshaw’s campaign for additional comment and was referred to the statement on X quoted above.