Connolly Vs. Van Meter In 11th District Congressional Re-Election Bid

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — First elected to Congress in 2008, U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D) is seeking reelection in a district that is solidly Democratic, according to the 2024 Cook Political Report's House Race Ratings.

Less than a week out from the Nov. 5 election, Connolly has raised significantly more in campaign contributions than his Republican challenger in the 11th congressional district race, Mike Van Meter, according to the latest financial filings.

As of Oct. 16, Connolly’s campaign reported receiving a total of $2,386,974 in donations, which is significantly more than the $58,737 in donations Van Meter’s campaign received, according to Federal Election Commission data report by the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project.

Connolly also benefited from $30,744 in independent expenditures reported by pro-Connolly advocacy groups. This money is used to purchase advertising that hasn’t been coordinated with Connolly’s campaign.

Independent Expenditures Pro-Connolly Groups

• $30,604 - Support Our Firefighters and Paramedics PAC
• $140 - Democratic Asian Americans of VA - Federal

To gain a spot on the Nov. 5 ballot, Connolly defeated Ahsan Nasar in the June 18 Democratic primary with 37,378 (85.64 percent) votes to Nasar's 6,270 (14.36 percent).

Van Meter did not have a primary challenger this year, but he did run against Democrat Jennifer Carroll Foy in 2023 District 33 State Senate race. Foy defeated Van Meter 35,003 votes (62.85 percent) to 20,525 (36.85 percent).

The 11th district includes all of Fairfax City, and the towns of Clifton, Herndon and Vienna, and the portions of Fairfax County that are roughly west and south of the Capital Beltway/I-95 corridor.

Prior to his election to Congress in 2008, Connolly served as the chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and before that the Providence District supervisor.

After graduating from Harvard University with a master’s degree in public administration, Connolly worked for 10 years with the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, according to his campaign bio. During that time, he worked with then senator and future President Joe Biden. He then worked 20 years in the private sector in the information technology and government contracting industry.

A former commissioned officer and helicopter pilot in the U.S. Navy, Van Meter served as a police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., according to his campaign bio. Joining the FBI, he was assigned to the Dallas Division, where he investigated various violations and flew surveillance missions in support of the Dallas Division’s investigations.

Transferring to FBI headquarters in Quantico, Virginia, Van Meter worked as an instructor at the FBI National Academy. He later joined the National Joint Terrorism Task Force, Civil Aviation Security Program, acting as program manager for more than 450 airport liaison agents at federally controlled airports across the U.S. He retired after 20 years from the FBI in 2019.