Rep. Wexton Announces New Diagnosis, Will Not Seek Re-Election

LEESBURG, VA — Jennifer Wexton, the United States Representative for Virginia's 10th district, will not seek re-election after her current term ends due to a devastating new medical diagnosis, Wexton announced in a statement Monday.

Wexton, who has served northern Virginia in various roles for nearly two decades, announced this spring that she was battling Parkinson's disease but hoped to continue performing her duties as she endured treatment.

"But I wasn't making the progress to manage my symptoms that I had hoped, and I noticed the women in my Parkinson's support ground weren't having the experience that I was," Wexton wrote in her statement. "I sought out additional medical opinions and testing, and my doctors modified my diagnosis to progressive supranuclear palsy — a kind of 'Parkinson's on steroids,'" she wrote.

The new diagnosis is "a tough one," Wexton wrote—one that means she won't be getting better.

"But taking into consideration the prognosis for my health over the coming years, I have made the decision not to seek reelection once my term is complete and instead spend my valued time with Andrew, our boys, and my friends and loved ones," Wexton wrote. "I'm heartbroken to have to give up something I have loved after so many years of serving my community."

Wexton announced back in April that she had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

In a video posted to Twitter, Wexton said she hoped to use her platform "to be a voice for those struggling with Parkinson’s."

"I chose to come forward today, on World Parkinson’s Day, because I want to bring about as much good from this diagnosis as I can, and I look forward to doing just that here in Congress," Wexton said in the video.

Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and the parts of the body controlled by the nerves, according to the Mayo Clinic. Signs and symptoms include tremors, slow movements, rigid muscles, impaired posture and balance, loss of automatic movements, and speech changes.

At the time she announced her diagnosis, Wexton, who lives in Leesburg, said she had primarily noticed the disease affecting her speech and how her mouth moved.

"You may notice I speak more quickly now," Wexton said. "It also has affected how I walk and keep my balance."

A native of the Washington area, Jennifer graduated with honors from the University of Maryland in College Park, and earned her law degree in 1995 from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, according to her official biography.

As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Wexton serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Budget Committee. She is also the founder of the Congressional Task Force on Digital Citizenship and the Congressional Agritourism Caucus. She was elected to Congress in 2018.