Rep. Gerry Connolly dies at 75 after battle with cancer

• Connolly had been battling with esophageal cancer, prompting him to announce last month that he would step aside as ranking member of the Oversight panel.
• He never formally relinquished the role, however, with Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) serving as "interim" ranking member while a shadow campaign emerged for the permanent role.

Zoom out: A former Senate Foreign Relations Committee staffer, Connolly served as a local legislator in Northern Virginia in the 1990s and 2000s before being elected to Congress in 2009.

• He was the chair of the U.S. Delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly for over a decade, twice serving as president of the body.
• He first ran for Oversight Committee ranking member in 2022, losing out to Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).
• When Raskin made the jump to the Judiciary Committee last year, Connolly ran again, defeating Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

What they're saying: "He was a skilled statesman on the international stage, an accomplished legislator in Congress, a visionary executive on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, a fierce defender of democracy, an environmental champion, and a mentor to so many," Connolly's family said.

• "We were fortunate to share Gerry with Northern Virginia for nearly 40 years because that was his joy, his purpose, and his passion."

By the numbers: Connolly is the third House Democrat to die in office in the last few months.

• Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas), a freshman elected last year to replace deceased Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), died suddenly in March at 70.
• Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who stepped aside as ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee last year, died from cancer later that month.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.