Democrats in Northern Virginia went with the establishment guy, James Walkinshaw, as their candidate to replace the late Gerry Connolly in Congress.
Walkinshaw, Connolly’s former chief of staff, got 59 percent of the vote in a firehouse primary held on Saturday, winning in the 10-candidate Democratic race with obvious ease.
The only candidates within hailing distance were State Sen. Stella Pekarsky and State Del. Irene Shin, who were in the low double-digits in the final tally.
Going with Walkinshaw, Connolly’s right-hand man from 2009 to 2019, before winning a seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in the 2019 election cycle, is a 180 from what Democrats in New York City did earlier in the week, when Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, swept to victory in the party’s Democratic mayoral primary.
Mamdani, very much a party outsider, focused his campaign on rent and housing, cost of living, safety, infrastructure, basic stuff, the kind of things that impact your daily life.
Walkinshaw is the ultimate insider, but his campaign for the nomination also focused on kitchen-table issues, things like extending tax relief to seniors and military families, keeping the environment clean and protecting federal workers.
“I’m honored & humbled to have earned the Democratic nomination for the district I’ve spent my career serving,” Walkinshaw said on X. “This victory was powered by neighbors, volunteers, and supporters who believe in protecting our democracy, defending our freedoms, and delivering for working families.”
The establishment is already coalescing around Walkinshaw, a stark contrast to how local, state and national Democrats have responded to Mamdani – utter disdain might be understating things there.
“James Walkinshaw knows the 11th Congressional District like the back of his hand, and that’s why I’m confident he’ll be a leader who delivers—and fights tooth and nail—for his constituents,” said State Sen. Lamont Bagby, the chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia. “From his years of service as chief of staff to Congressman Gerry Connolly to his leadership on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, James brings the experience and dedication needed to be both a fighter and a protector for Virginians. The Democratic Party of Virginia is proud to stand with him, and together, we’re going to keep the 11th District blue.”
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Chris Graham
