WATCH LIVE: Candidates for Gerry Connolly鈥檚 congressional seat face off in forum on July 28 at 6 p.m.聽
In two months, some Virginians will head to the polls to pick a candidate to fill the Congressional seat vacated by the late Rep. Gerry Connolly.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a special election will be held on Sept. 9. Connolly died in May following a battle with esophageal cancer. He served Virginia鈥檚 11th congressional district, which includes Fairfax City and most of Fairfax County.
James Walkinshaw, a longtime Connolly staffer and Fairfax County supervisor, won the Democratic primary. Stewart Whitson, a former FBI agent and Army combat veteran, is the Republican candidate.
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草莓传媒’s Scott Gelman sat down with both candidates to ask them about issues important to Northern Virginia voters.
Abortion
Whitson, who described himself as pro-life and a Catholic father of five, said one of the country鈥檚 biggest issues is not doing enough to support mothers and babies.
That鈥檚 the case not only in the lead up to the birth of an unexpected pregnancy, but also after the birth happens, Whitson said.
鈥淗ow can we make it easier for good families to adopt in the U.S.?鈥� Whitson said. 鈥淗ow can we give more resources to help new, unexpected mothers take care of their children?鈥�
Walkinshaw, meanwhile, said he鈥檚 a 鈥減ro-choice Democrat, 100%.鈥�
鈥淭here are a lot of things where government does a great job,鈥� Walkinshaw said. 鈥淭elling people and women and families what to do with their bodies ain鈥檛 one of them.鈥�
Economy
Walkinshaw said the 鈥渃haos of the Trump administration,鈥� including on-and-off tariff policies, is holding the U.S. economy back.
鈥淩ight now, we have a president who is more focused on the price of Greenland than he is on the price of groceries,鈥� Walkinshaw said. 鈥淪o we have to get back to focusing on the basics, making life more affordable for the American people.鈥�
To do that, Walkinshaw said Democrats need to win back the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections.
鈥淏etween now and then, we鈥檙e in the position of articulating those things and why they鈥檙e important and why they鈥檙e a better approach than what we鈥檙e getting from the Trump administration,鈥� he said.
Whitson, meanwhile, said there鈥檚 not a revenue issue in D.C., there鈥檚 a spending problem.
Removing 鈥渂urdensome regulations that are preventing new businesses from growing and launching鈥� is one idea that could help, he said.
Whitson described Virginia as one of the world鈥檚 technology capitals, and 鈥渢he growth of data centers and the growth of AI” is going to open up opportunities “that we can鈥檛 even imagine.鈥�
Schools
Whitson said Fairfax County Public Schools is 鈥渁 national poster child of what not to do in public education鈥� and said the federal government should promote school choice.
To do it, Whitson said that instead of the federal government funneling money to states directly to public schools, it should give that funding to parents, to let parents have control over that money and decide where they want to go.鈥�
Walkinshaw said curriculum decisions 鈥渁re made and should be made at the local and to some degree state level.鈥� He said it鈥檚 a myth that the federal education department determines curriculum in local school districts.
Walkinshaw criticized President Donald Trump’s administration鈥檚 decision to 鈥渄ismantle鈥� the Department of Education. “It鈥檚 the kind of error that maybe sometimes is hard to measure” because we will lose research “that we don鈥檛 even know what the positive outcomes will be.鈥�
Medicaid
As a result of the recently signed tax and spending bill, Walkinshaw said more than 320,000 Virginians are at risk of losing their health care.
鈥淚n Congress, I鈥檒l fight back and work to repeal their Big BS Bill 鈥� because no Virginian should lose coverage or pay higher premiums to fund this reckless agenda,鈥� Walkinshaw said.
Whitson said the legislation 鈥渄idn鈥檛 cut Medicaid spending a dime.鈥� He said, “1.4 million illegal immigrants are getting kicked off Medicaid,” in addition to people who are signed up for the program in multiple states.
鈥淭he Democrats are fearmongering, and so I would just say look at the facts of the bill,鈥� Whitson said.
Trump administration actions
Some experts are describing the special election as a bellwether on next year鈥檚 midterms, and as a reflection of how voters may feel about the first months of the Trump administration.
Here鈥檚 how candidates responded to questions about the administration鈥檚 policies or actions.
Whitson said the first six months of the Trump administration was a 鈥渨hirlwind of activity, but a lot of that was a reflection of just how far away from common sense that the previous administration moved the country.鈥�
President Joe Biden, Whitson said, pushed 鈥淒EI policy on our children behind closed doors, frankly, sleepwalked the world into a war in Ukraine through inaction.鈥�
鈥淓verything that鈥檚 done through executive action can be undone by a future administration with a stroke of a pen,鈥� Whitson said. 鈥淚f you want to make the meaningful changes in the return to common sense permanent, then you have to do that in Congress.鈥�
Everything Trump has done so far 鈥渉as moved us in the right direction. There鈥檚 nothing I disagree with. I actually believe the vast majority of Americans would have my same position if they鈥檙e given the facts,鈥� Whitson said.
Walkinshaw called the first months of the new administration 鈥渞eckless chaos,鈥� specifically criticizing cuts at federal agencies.
鈥淚 struggle to think of a policy where I鈥檓 aligned with Donald Trump,鈥� Walkinshaw said. 鈥淚 object to his trade policies and the tariff policies, but I do think he鈥檚 right that China has been operating unfairly within the global trade and economic regime for a long time.”
He said, “It鈥檚 a good thing for any American president to highlight and talk about that. I don鈥檛 think he鈥檚 gone about addressing it in a strategic way, but I think he鈥檚 on the right path there.鈥�
Cuts at federal agencies
Walkinshaw said federal workers are 鈥渦nder attack鈥� by the Trump administration.
Congressional Democrats, Walkinshaw said, 鈥渘eed to be more aggressive in launching investigations of what the Trump administration is doing.鈥� He said lawmakers could request an independent inspector general or Government Accountability Office investigation.
鈥淚 will be a fierce and tireless advocate for federal workers,鈥� Walkinshaw said.
Whitson, meanwhile, said 鈥�99% of federal employees are good, honest, hardworking Americans who love our country.鈥�
But, he said, 鈥淚 also know from my personal experience and from every federal government employee I鈥檝e spoken to there is waste that goes on in the federal government.鈥�
鈥淭here are employees that aren’t productive or are insubordinate, and getting rid of those few is really hard, but guess who carries most of the weight when a small handful of federal employees don’t do their job? It’s the good employees that get hurt,鈥� Whitson said. 鈥淎nd so that’s my big focus is how do we look out for the good federal employees?鈥�
Reaction to immigration trends
Immigration arrests are rising in Virginia, and at a faster rate than most other places, .
Walkinshaw said, 鈥淭rump鈥檚 agenda to terrorize and deport law-abiding families is a distraction from focusing on the small number who commit violent crimes. In Congress, I鈥檒l fight for comprehensive immigration reform and a path to citizenship because America should live up to its values, not weaponize fear.鈥�
Whitson, meanwhile, said immigration isn鈥檛 a political issue, but a humanitarian and national security one.
鈥淚f there is a lot of ICE activity going on in our area, that’s for a simple reason,鈥� Whitson said. 鈥淚t’s because the other folks who’ve been in charge, including my opponent, have basically invited illegal immigrants to come here and offered them sanctuary.”
What happens “is maybe there’s some good people who are taking advantage of it, but there’s a lot more bad people that are taking advantage of that,” he said. “That’s the problem. We have to stop that because we have to protect our legal immigrants.鈥�
US role in foreign conflicts
Walkinshaw said the U.S. needs to stand by and support Ukraine in its war with Russia. He said the Trump administration鈥檚 鈥渙n-again-off-again support for Ukraine strengthens Vladimir Putin and Russia and weakens the United States and our allies in Europe and Ukraine.鈥�
In the Middle East, Walkinshaw said, 鈥淚srael is a key U.S. ally strategically, and we need to stand by them and continue to support their defense.” That said, “the lack of aid flowing into Gaza is unacceptable. We need a ceasefire there yesterday.鈥�
Walkinshaw said the diplomatic path is essential in making sure Iran doesn鈥檛 produce a nuclear weapon. 鈥淲ith respect to the U.S. strike on Iran, I think it was unconstitutional,鈥� Walkinshaw said.
Whitson said the “Ukraine war is a travesty because it鈥檚 the result of inaction and a weak president.鈥�
鈥淩ight now, we have Ukraine over there, we have to support right over wrong,鈥� Whitson said.
However, Whitson said, 鈥淭his needs to not be only the U.S. leading the charge. It needs to be something that all of our allies across Europe and elsewhere are engaged in. They need to do their fair share.鈥�
Regarding Iran, Whitson said he applauds Trump 鈥渇or his strength on that position.鈥�
鈥淚’m excited to see the rest of the Arab countries around Israel, talking with each other, talking about prospects for peace,鈥� Whitson said. 鈥淔olks even in Gaza, and other leaders outside of Hamas are stepping forward and are willing to recognize Israel and promote peace. At the end of the day, all that is a result of strong American leadership.”
“We should be thankful for President Donald Trump for his leadership on that,鈥� Whitson said.
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