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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsScandal Shakes a Virginia House Republican, Adding to Electoral Tremors
VIRGINIA BEACH Representative Scott Taylor, Republican of Virginia, has enjoyed a rapid political rise anchored in his valorous background as a member of the Navy SEALs, a credential with great resonance in a district that includes the worlds largest naval station and one of the highest concentrations of voters connected to the military. Fit, square-jawed and telegenic, he was expected to have a relatively easy time winning re-election in November.
But now he is threatened with a sudden fall: His campaign is facing accusations that it was part of an improper effort to help an independent candidate get on the ballot and siphon voters from his Democratic challenger. The allegations, which included using the names of dead people or voters who did not live in the district on signature petitions, were serious enough to warrant the appointment of a special prosecutor, and the independent candidate, Shaun Brown, was stricken from the ballot by the Virginia Supreme Court.
Mr. Taylors race is emblematic of an emerging problem for Republicans as they seek to maintain an increasingly tenuous grip on the House: A seat once considered relatively safe is now imperiled because of scandal, expanding an already broad field of Democratic opportunity.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/scandal-shakes-a-virginia-house-republican-adding-to-electoral-tremors/ar-AAAxUNQ?ocid=spartanntp
eleny
(46,166 posts)One scandal after another.
dchill
(38,531 posts)Perhaps NBD.
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,413 posts)Getting a 3rd party to siphon D votes could be called the Stein-way cheat. (Pretty sure Jill Stein, Putin, and the Ghouls Of Putin worked together after that little Russian luncheon).
There's the fake fear of illegal voters. That's the excuse for voter suppression laws targeting mostly Dem populations. (Maintaining such laws requires packing courts). And it provides cover for pushing easily alterable electronic voting machines in place of easily verifiable paper ballots. It's also the excuse for riling the base up for intimidation tactics around polling places.
Closing polling places in strategic locations to discourage D voters seems to be a growing fad with the GOP.
Gerrymandering is so old-fashioned, but it works surprisingly well. Packed courts help keep such things from being undone between census years.
I'm bound to be missing some.
dchill
(38,531 posts)You always miss the ones you don't know about yet.
Cha
(297,607 posts)with the electoral process.
Wow!
The allegations, which included using the names of dead people or voters who did not live in the district on signature petitions, were serious enough to warrant the appointment of a special prosecutor, and the independent candidate, Shaun Brown, was stricken from the ballot by the Virginia Supreme Court
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)Stop the presses, stop the presses.
Duppers
(28,126 posts)Who will still vote for him, despite the facts. It's the ole "he's one of us" mentality.