Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, died Wednesday morning at 75 years old, his family said.

Driving the news: “It is with immense sadness that we share that our devoted and loving father, husband, brother, friend, and public servant, Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, passed away peacefully at his home this morning,” the family said in a statement.

• 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.

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said Monday he will soon step aside as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee after just four months in the role.

What he’s saying: Connolly said that his cancer, “while initially beaten back, has now returned,” and that he will not seek reelection to his House seat.

Within hours of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) announcing he will step away as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, the camps began to form and the jockeying and sniping began.

Why it matters: The Oversight Committee is stacked with young, ambitious and high-profile progressives, many of whom would be eager to take over Connolly’s extremely visible role under the right circumstances.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said Wednesday she is ruling out a run to be the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee after briefly entertaining the idea.

Why it matters: The 87-year-old is the second most senior member of the panel, though her age would have undoubtedly been a significant obstacle.