Congressman Gerald E. “Gerry” Connolly is serving his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia’s 11th District, which encompasses Fairfax County, Prince William County, and Fairfax City in Northern Virginia.
Congressman Connolly serves on the House Budget Committee, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
He is a member of two Foreign Affairs Subcommittees: Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade; and Mideast and South Asia. On the Government Reform Committee, he serves on: the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia; and the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement.
Prior to his election to Congress in November 2008, Congressman Connolly was Chairman of the Board of Supervisors in Fairfax County, the largest jurisdiction in the Washington, DC metro area with more than 1.1 million residents. Connolly served a total of 14 years on the Fairfax County Board, the last five as Chairman.
As Fairfax County Chairman, Connolly oversaw an annual budget of $4.5 billion, and the 12th largest school system and the 6th largest office market in the nation. During his tenure on the Board, and with his leadership, Fairfax County earned the title of Best Managed Large County in the nation. Connolly championed an aggressive agenda as Fairfax Chairman in areas ranging from strong environmental stewardship, affordable housing and public safety to transit-oriented development, regional cooperation, and gang prevention.
He is already earning a reputation on Capitol Hill as an expert on issues affecting local and state governments. Recently, he completed a term as President of the freshman class in the U.S. House of Representatives. In that role he served as a liaison between the House leadership and freshman members of Congress to ensure they had a voice in the legislative process.
Congressman Connolly received a B.A. in Literature from Maryknoll College in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and a M.A. in Public Administration from Harvard University in 1979.
After graduating from Harvard, Connolly spent 10 years on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he handled numerous issues including oversight of international economic issues and policies concerning the Middle East and the United Nations.
Congressman Connolly also worked in the non-profit and private sectors for organizations and companies involved in international trade, regulatory matters, and research.
To learn more about Congressman Connolly’s work in Congress, visit http://connolly.house.gov
To learn more about Congressman Connolly’s campaign for reelection, visit www.gerryconnolly.com
