The Eye

Jessica Santillo, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said that northern Virginia voters last year "soundly rejected Keith Fimian because of his extremism and unconditional support for President Bush's failed policies, which created the economic mess we're currently in."

"Congressman Connolly has hit the ground running and proven himself to be an effective lawmaker who reaches across the aisle to deliver results for Virginia," she said.

Connolly defeated Fimian by 55 percent to 43 percent in the 2008 election and succeeded retiring Republican Rep. Thomas M. Davis III. Though that tally was not very close, the spread between presidential nominees Barack Obama and John McCain was wider (57 percent to 42 percent).

Connolly almost always has sided with Democrats on votes that divide the two parties. A CQ study of House votes in the first half of 2009 found that Connolly backed the consensus Democratic position on 98 percent of votes that pitted a majority of Democrats against a majority of Republicans.

Connolly raised $538,000 in the first six months of this year and has $423,000 in his campaign account.