State Del. John McGuire (R-Goochland) is facing a backlash after he revealed in an interview with the Washington Post Tuesday that he was in attendance at the deadly Jan. 6 Trump rally in Washington D.C. McGuire noted in the interview that he did not enter the Capitol building that was breached by supporters of Donald Trump.
McGuire’s opponent in the 56 district for the House of Delegates condemned him in a statement Tuesday night after finding out about his attendance at the rally. “While Delegate McGuire claims he never entered the Capitol, he stood proudly with neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and proud boys in the heart of our nation,” said Blakely Lockhart, the Democrat challenging McGuire in the House. “I irrevocably condemn his actions on January 6.”
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“While [McGuire] stood by, police officers lost their lives in defense of our sacred Republic,” Lockhart continued. “While Delegate McGuire has committed himself to the erosion of faith in our democracy, I want to restore it.”
Lockhart is challenging McGuire in the Republican-friendly 56 district that he won by 21 points in 2019. But McGuire took a loss last year when he tried to run for Congress.
McGuire sought the Republican nomination in VA-07 last year but eventually lost in the convention to state Del. Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper), who then went on to lose to Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-Henrico) in the general election.
McGuire has been continuing to make the rounds across the seventh congressional district, leaving many to speculate that he wants to run for Congress again. He can often be seen attending and speaking at events for the Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin when he campaigns across Central Virginia.
McGuire running against Spanberger this cycle would provide an interesting dynamic for the cycle. Spanberger was in the House chamber as Trump supporters stormed the Capitol and reached the doors to the House floor.
Regardless of his potential congressional run, McGuire is facing a challenge from Lockhart first and she is not backing down from the two-term incumbent. “It both sickens and infuriates me that someone who frequently touts his alleged love for our country was so eager to attempt to overthrow our government and undermine our Constitution,” Lockhart said Tuesday.
Early voting begins in mid-September, but Lockhart and McGuire square off in the general election on Nov. 2.
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