GOP House Leaders, Party Pour More Than $100K into Bathroom Bill Sponsor’s Campaign

RICHMOND, Va. – Republican House Leadership and the state Republican Party have poured more $100,000 into the campaign of Delegate Bob Marshall, who this year sponsored a bathroom bill more extreme than North Carolina’s HB2.

According to his campaign finance report covering the period from  Oct.1-26, the leadership PAC of Delegate Kirk Cox contributed $50,000 to Marshall’s campaign, while outgoing Speaker Bill Howell contributed $25,000. Caucus Chair Tim Hugo and Majority Whip Jackson Miller each contributed $2,000 to Marshall’s campaign.

The Republican Party of Virginia reported $22,796 in in-kind support. The party last week paid for a piece that misgendered Marshall’s opponent, journalist Danica Roem, who would be the first openly-transgender person elected and seated in a state legislature.

“Bob Marshall is no longer the fringe of the Republican Party; Bob Marshall is the Republican Party,” said Katie Baker, spokeswoman for the House Democratic Caucus. “With these contributions, Republican leaders have now fully embraced Marshall and his divisive agenda. While Democrats are focused on building our economy, expanding access to health care, and improving transportation, Bob Marshall is focused on bathrooms. Furthermore, he authored the state’s unconstitutional same-sex marriage ban, refused to shake the hand of a teenager who founded a gay-straight alliance at her high school, and has said that children with disabilities are god’s punishment for abortion. By powering his campaign, Republican leaders are perpetuating his message of hate.”

“Delegate Marshall focused his legislative priority this year on where I go to the bathroom instead of how his constituents get to work,” said Roem. “Why Del. Marshall’s own party is trying to bail him out after spending his year and career discriminating against his constituents is beyond reason, and that’s why it’s time for Democratic leadership in the House of Delegates.”

Marshall told Brietbart this week that Roem is “is a guy who thinks he’s a girl who wears a dress.”

At a “Bikers for Trump” campaign rally held Sunday with GOP Lt. Governor nominee Jill Vogel, Corey Stewart, who is running for U.S. Senate, mocked and misgendered Roem. Pride Fund and the Democratic Party of Virginia have called on Vogel to condemn his remarks. As of the time of this release, Vogel has remained silent.