Rep. Gerry Connolly, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said in a statement Monday he will not run for re-election and will be “stepping back” as the lead Democrat in light of his cancer returning.
“When I announced my diagnosis six months ago, I promised transparency. After grueling treatment, we’ve learned that the cancer, while initially beaten back, has now returned. I’ll do everything possible to continue to represent you and thank you for your grace,” Connolly said in his statement.
Connolly first made public his esophageal cancer diagnosis after the 2024 election. He launched his bid last year to be the top Democrat on the Oversight committee and led a tough internal campaign against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who lost in the final vote. The contest came to be seen as a generational battle that could yield hints about the future of the Democratic Party in the wake of its 2024 losses.
Connolly, who has served in Congress since 2009, told his colleagues at the time he would be transparent about the status of his diagnosis.
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Ocasio-Cortez is no longer on the Oversight committee, so it’s unclear who will take over for Connolly once he steps aside.
“With no rancor and a full heart, I move into this final chapter full of pride in what we’ve accomplished together over 30 years,” Connolly said in the statement.
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Daniella Diaz is a reporter at NOTUS.
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