FAIRFAX, Va.—Democrats and Republicans chose candidates in northern Virginia on Saturday who will vie to replace the late U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Democrat who served the congressional district in the Washington suburbs for 16 years.
Democrats chose James Walkinshaw, who currently serves on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors—which oversees the local budget and policies. Republicans picked Stewart Whitson, an Army veteran and former FBI agent.
The candidates will compete in a special election on Sept. 9 to represent Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, which is home to more than 700,000 people and includes Fairfax, Reston, and Vienna.
Political observers have said that the district’s Democratic primary likely will determine Connolly’s successor in what has become a reliably Democratic district....
