National Security Expert, Ex-CIA Operations Officer Enters 11th District Race

FAIRFAX, VA — On Thursday, Amy Papanu, a national security expert and lifetime public servant, entered the crowded race for Virginia’s 11th District congressional seat. The House seat has been vacant following the recent death of U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Democrat.

The former CIA operations officer with 28 years of experience as a federal employee decided to enter the race as a Democrat, following the Trump administration’s recent “chaotic attacks on the federal workforce.”

“These attacks put our national security and our economic security at-risk” Papanu said in a release announcing her candidacy.

Papanu grew up in a middle-class family, with a union electrician father and stay-at-home mom. After college, she worked at the FBI, conducting counterterrorism surveillance operations across the Northeast. She then became a Foreign Service Officer in the U.S. Department of State, where she was deployed on classified missions in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

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• 11th District Voters Will Cast Ballots In Special Election To Fill Congressional Seat
• Choosing Connolly's Successor In Congress: What To Know
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In 2002, Papanu was one of the first officers posted to the newly reopened U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan. She also served in Baghdad following the invasion of Iraq. In that role, she worked on counterterrorism strategy and supported high-stakes hostage operations, according to a release.

Papanu joined the CIA in 2008, living and working in the Middle East, Africa, and Washington, D.C. During her 16 years with the agency, she partnered with U.S. allies to “dismantle terrorist networks, disrupt drug traffickers, and counter rogue regimes.”

“After spending my career confronting authoritarianism and extremism abroad, I knew I could no longer stay on the sidelines while President Trump destabilized America from within — attacking democratic norms, and embracing the very strongmen I once worked to neutralize” Papanu said.

Also See:

• Fairfax County Supervisor To Run For Connolly's Seat In Congress
• 2nd Democrat Announces Bid To Seek Connolly's Seat In Congress
• Fairfax Leaders Endorse Democrat In Race To Succeed Connolly
• GOP Candidate Running For Connolly's Congressional Seat In 11th District Race

“I am the fighter the hardworking residents of Virginia’s 11th Congressional District needs. Especially as the federal workforce and agencies that provide vital services continue to be under attack. I am going to Congress to protect Social Security and Medicare, strengthen the middle class and defend reproductive rights.”

Papanu joins seven other Democrats and one Republican who have already announced their intentions to run in the Sept. 7 special election. Del. Irene Shine (D-Herndon) announced her candidacy on Tuesday.

Democrats

• Joshua Aisen
• Planning Commissioner Candice Bennett (D-At-Large)
• Leo Martínez
• Amy Papanu
• State Sen. Stella Pekarsky (D-Centreville)
• Amy Roma
• Del. Irene Shin (D-Herndon)
• Supervisor James Walkinshaw (D-Braddock)

Republican

• Republican Michael Van Meter

During a meeting on Tuesday night, the 11th District Democrats voted to hold an "Unassembled Caucus," also known as a Firehouse Primary on Saturday, June 28. A primary is run by a party and not the state.

The race to fill Connolly's seat in the 2026 election began in April when he announced that he would not seek reelection because of health concerns. Last November, Connolly revealed that he'd been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and was receiving chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatment. His family announced that he died on May 21 at the age of 75.