Jennifer Wexton will not seek reelection, citing health concerns

Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton of Virginia announced Monday morning she will finish out her term in Congress but will not seek reelection, citing health concerns.

Wexton was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease a few months ago, but her statement Monday said that her doctor had “modified my diagnosis to Supra-nuclear Palsy – a kind ‘Parkison’s on Steroids.’”

“I’m heartbroken to have to give up something I have loved after so many years of serving my community,” she said. “But taking into consideration the prognosis for my health over the coming years, I have made the decision not to seek reelection once my term is complete and instead spend my valued time with Andrew, our boys, and my friends and loved ones.”

Wexton was first elected to her northern Virginia congressional district in 2018, when she was a part of the freshman class that helped Democrats retake control of the House. In that 2018 election, Wexton flipped her district blue when she defeated then-GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock. Wexton is a member of the Appropriations and Budget committees.

Prior to being elected to Congress, Wexton was a member of the Virginia state Senate and was a judge and assistant commonwealth attorney.

Wexton won reelection in 2022 by 6.4 percentage points and Biden would have carried the congressional district by 18 percentage points in 2020. However, without an incumbent, the district could be more competitive in 2024. Virgina’s 10th congressional district spans from some of the western DC exurbs of Leesburg and Loudoun County and south through Fauquier County. The district also encompasses a small part of Fairfax County in Northern Virginia.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Melissa Holzberg DePalo contributed to this report.

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