Photos: Rep. Gerry Connolly Hosts 19th Annual St. Patrick's Day Fete

Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-11th) hosted more than 800 guests, including dozens of local politicians, on Sunday for his 19th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Fete at the Kena Shriners Temple in Fairfax. At $40 a person the event is one of the largest campaign fundraisers Connolly holds every year. 

"It is time we clean house in Virginia," said Connolly to the audience. "Elections matter, and every day I am reminded of the effects of the 2010 elections. It is not OK to leave billions of dollars on the table and 300,000-to-400,000 Virginians go uninsured because the idealogues don't want to expand Medicaid." 

Terry McAuliffe, Virginia's Democratic candidate for governor, said that his race will be focused on job creation.

"I have a background in business development and I will work harder and with anyone to get Virginia moving forward," McAuliffe told Patch. 

The fete began in 1995 in Connolly's Fairfax home, but the festivities soon outgrew the venue, and the Kena function hall has been home ever since to hundreds of Democrats. Guests drank sodas and beer and ate an Irish dinner of corned-beef, cabbage and potatoes. 

Are you following us on Facebook and Twitter? So are we!