Dead Congressman Spooks Social Media Users With ‘Bold’ Reminder

Late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who died in office last month, surprised social media users Tuesday after his old accounts were revived to remind his followers to back his former chief of staff to fill his vacant congressional seat.

A post to Connolly’s now-defunct campaign account on X, formerly Twitter, nudged followers about early voting starting in a special election for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District before noting that the late congressman endorsed James Walkinshaw “to carry the torch.”

“Let’s honor that legacy and vote for bold leadership that’ll fight for us every day,” read the post, which, according to the account’s bio, received approval from Connolly’s family.

The post includes a picture of the two that also appears on Connolly’s old campaign Facebook page and website, the latter of which consists of a note on how Walkinshaw was “the only person” that the late congressman believed to have “the experience, courage, and heart to lead on day one.”

Earlier this month, Connolly’s campaign shared fundraising emails backing Walkinshaw and linking to his ActBlue page, Axios highlighted.

Critics on social media were swiftly startled by the post, as some used it to make light of the awkward situation.