Meet James
James Walkinshaw is a lifelong Virginian who has dedicated his career to ensuring that our Commonwealth remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family. He lives in Fairfax County with his wife, Yvette, and their son, Mateo. Walkinshaw grew up in Prince William County, where he graduated from Unity Reed High School before earning his bachelor’s degree from New York University.
Before being elected to Congress, Walkinshaw built a strong record of results on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, delivering on public safety, transportation, the environment, affordability, and economic growth. He also served in regional leadership roles on the Virginia Association of Counties Board, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the Transportation Planning Board, and the Virginia Railway Express Operations Board. Working with leaders from every corner of Virginia, he developed a deep understanding that government works best when it is accountable, responsive, and focused on delivering real results.
For more than a decade, Walkinshaw served as Chief of Staff to the late Congressman Gerry Connolly, helping pass the Affordable Care Act, secure major federal investments for Virginia, and strengthen the region’s economy. In the 2025 special election to succeed Connolly, Walkinshaw pledged to fight for Virginia families, defend our democracy by serving as a check on the reckless Trump Administration, and build an economy that works for everyone.
Despite being one of the newest members of Congress, Walkinshaw has delivered on those promises. He introduced legislation to rein in President Trump’s attacks on federal workers and protect the nonpartisan civil service from politicization. He has introduced 17 bills and advanced two out of committee to better support local businesses that partner with the federal government. On the Oversight Committee, he has passed bipartisan amendments to strengthen accountability, protect federal workers, modernize government technology, and improve federal purchasing efficiency to save taxpayer dollars and deliver better results. On the Homeland Security Committee, he has worked in a bipartisan way to improve our nation’s cyber defenses.
Walkinshaw has emerged as a leading national voice for the federal workforce, founding the first-ever Congressional Federal Workforce Caucus and serving as its co-chair. He has led efforts to block Schedule F, ensure federal employees are paid during government shutdowns, prevent sweeping executive reorganizations, and secure meaningful pay raises for the public servants Virginians rely on every day.
He is the only Democrat serving on both the House Oversight Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee, giving Virginia a powerful voice where critical decisions are made. In these roles, he has issued more than 100 formal oversight demands and launched 15 active investigations to hold the Trump Administration accountable. He has focused in particular on oversight of ICE and DHS, demanding transparency, investigating misconduct, and advancing reforms to curb excessive force, protect sensitive locations such as schools and houses of worship, and ensure basic humanitarian standards for individuals in federal custody.
Walkinshaw is also fighting to protect health care and lower costs. When Republicans blocked action, he helped force a House vote to extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits for 335,000 Virginians. He is pushing back against President Trump’s tariffs that raise prices and threaten Virginia jobs, while advancing bipartisan solutions to make housing more affordable across the Commonwealth and the nation.
In his first six months in office, Walkinshaw has delivered $13.4 million in federal funding for community projects across the region and built a constituent services operation that cuts through red tape and delivers real results, helping thousands of families access the benefits they deserve.
