Representative Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia, an eight-term Democrat, announced on Monday that he would not seek re-election and would soon relinquish his position as the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, as he faces cancer.
Mr. Connolly, 75, announced late last year that he was being treated for cancer of the esophagus but planned to fight the disease while continuing to do his job in Washington, saying he was “very confident of a successful outcome.”
In a letter to his constituents on Monday, he said that the disease, “while initially beaten back, has now returned,” prompting his decision to step aside and ultimately retire. Mr. Connolly said he planned to do “everything possible” to finish out what he said would be his final term.
“I will be stepping back as ranking member of the Oversight Committee soon,” he wrote. “With no rancor and a full heart, I move into this final chapter full of pride in what we’ve accomplished together over 30 years.”
Mr. Connolly’s announcement did not make clear when he may hand over his position, and a spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is scheduled to hold a crucial hearing on Wednesday about its portion of Republicans’ tax and spending program, which includes changes to federal employees’ benefits and gives them the option to give up civil service protections to make more money.
Mr. Connolly’s decision will clear the way for a new senior Democrat on one of the most partisan committees in Congress, which lawmakers typically use to antagonize the White House and exercise their check on executive power.
Republicans currently control the committee and its subpoena power. With Representative James Comer of Kentucky, a close Trump ally, as chairman, the committee has largely focused on reopening old investigations of the Biden administration.
The committee also has jurisdiction over the Department of Government Efficiency, the White House initiative led by Elon Musk to significantly remake the federal government and cut its work force. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, the firebrand Georgia Republican, leads the panel on that effort and has used her perch to echo Mr. Musk’s claims about government waste.
But Mr. Connolly’s successor will not be without power. The ranking member oversees a large staff and can call for investigations and minority hearings to spotlight issues of concern. The position is also a valuable platform for lawmakers, and Mr. Connolly’s replacement would be in a prime position to lead the committee if Democrats retake the House majority in 2026.
Mr. Connolly, whose district includes a substantial number of federal workers affected by Mr. Musk’s efforts, won an internal battle for the role last year over Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. His victory was seen as a blow to a younger group of Democratic lawmakers who have rejected seniority in favor of generational change.
Though several other veteran leaders stepped aside or were beaten by challenges from younger colleagues, Mr. Connolly, a more moderate Democrat, was chosen because of his experience.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez is no longer a member of the Oversight panel, which would complicate any effort she might undertake to win the position were she to try to do so.
Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, 87, the nonvoting delegate from the District of Columbia, did not raise her hand for the role last year despite her seniority on the committee.
