Trump supporter and communist survivor enters race for vacant Democrat seat
Former Soviet-era refugee and Republican jumps into race to succeed late Rep. Gerry Connolly.
Karina Lipsman, a survivor of Soviet-era communism, has formally entered the race for Virginia's 11th Congressional District, seeking to fill the seat left vacant by the recent passing of longtime Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly. Lipsman, who immigrated to the United States as a child, shared that her family fled the oppressive environment of the former USSR in pursuit of the American dream, eventually settling in Baltimore where she was raised by her single mother in low-income housing.
“We ran from socialism and toward the American dream. We came here because America stood for freedom, hard work, and the chance to build something better,” Lipsman stated. Despite arriving in the U.S. without knowing English, she highlighted her determination, recounting how she became a citizen at age 18 and managed to put herself through both undergraduate and graduate school. Currently, Lipsman works with the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, an organization that seeks to educate Americans about the dangers of totalitarian regimes.
Lipsman, a Republican, voiced concerns about what she sees as troubling parallels between her family's experience under communism and current trends in the United States. She pointed to an expanding government, a shrinking middle class, and increased dependence on government support as warning signs, stating, “We’ve been sliding away from what made this country great.” She praised former President Donald Trump for challenging the political status quo but warned that he needs more allies in Congress to push back against entrenched interests.
The race for the 11th District, which covers much of the Washington, D.C., suburbs, is shaping up to be highly competitive. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has set a special election date for September 9 to determine who will succeed Connolly, who represented the district since 2009 before succumbing to esophageal cancer in late May. The area has trended solidly Democratic in recent years; the Cook Political Index rates it D+18, and Connolly consistently won re-election by large margins—defeating Republican challengers by over 30 points in the last three cycles.
Lipsman previously ran for Congress in Virginia’s neighboring 8th District, falling short against incumbent Democrat Don Beyer. However, she remains undeterred and believes voters are seeking dedicated leaders willing to "put their heads down and do the hard work to fix what’s broken," promising to focus on tangible results rather than political spectacle.
The Democratic primary field is already crowded, featuring Fairfax County supervisor James Walkinshaw—endorsed by Connolly before his passing—as well as state lawmakers Stella Pekarsky and Irene Shin. Other candidates include Leopoldo Nucete, a former counselor with the Minority Business Development Agency; Navy veteran Joshua Aisen; and Fairfax County official Candice Bennett. On the Republican side, Lipsman joins Mike Van Meter—who ran against Connolly in 2024—and other aspiring challengers, aiming to offer voters a compelling alternative in a district long held by Democrats but once competitive for Republicans.
