Jan 18, 2008  |  By: CHRIS JOHNSON  | COMMENTS     

A conservative Republican has announced his intent to run for the open U.S. Senate seat in Virginia, leaving many gay Virginians, even Republicans, howling with fury.

Del. Bob Marshall announced his candidacy at a news conference in Richmond, Va., last week.

Marshall was an author of the Marshall-Newman amendment to the Virginia state Constitution, which was approved by Virginia voters in 2006. The amendment defines marriage in Virginia as an agreement between one man and one woman. Many have criticized the amendment for not only restricting marriage but also other rights for non-married Virginia couples.

“He’s just, I think, an awful person and just an embarrassment to the Republican Party and I think a lot of elected legislators feel the same way,” said David Lampo, vice president of the Virginia Log Cabin Republicans.

In 2004, Marshall also sponsored the marriage affirmation bill, which was passed into law over then-Virginia Gov. Mark Warner’s objections. The law prohibits Virginia law from recognizing out-of-state civil unions.

At a Jan. 8 news conference, he said the foremost issues in his campaign will be “protecting the right to life for unborn children,” restoring “respect for traditional marriage,” closing the federal deficit, keeping taxes low and ending U.S. occupation of Iraq, according to the Washington Post.

Marshall’s office did not return Blade calls this week.

Lampo derided Marshall for his anti-gay and other positions.

“He is clearly, I think, at odds with the core Republican principles of limited government and personal freedom — no matter how he tries to spin his positions,” he said.

Lampo said Marshall comes from the “theocrat wing of the party” to which the Log Cabin Republicans are opposed.

Marshall, 63, a former Democrat and John Kennedy-supporter in 1960, switched to the Republican Party in 1972 because of disappointment with George McGovern’s presidential campaign.

Dyana Mason, executive director of Equality Virginia, called Marshall “one of the most anti-gay members of the Virginia Legislature.”

“He has just consistently opposed our efforts to move Virginia forward,” she said.

Sultan Shakir, regional director for Human Rights Campaign, noted Marshall’s record as a state delegate and said he would “be terrible not only for the GLBT community but for the entire state in general and the entire national community.”

For former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, Marshall’s competitor for the Republican nomination, Lampo has less caustic remarks.

“I don’t really know a lot about his personal views,” Lampo said. “He doesn’t have the sort of overt anti-gay record that Marshall does.”

Lampo said Gilmore “steered clear” of social issues when he was Virginia governor from 1998 to 2002, but also hasn’t spoken out about the “value of equality” in Virginia. Gilmore has become a divisive figure since he left the governorship and evokes strong partisan feelings, Lampo said.

“Rightly or wrongly, he was sort of blamed for some of the state’s fiscal problems, so I think he’s going to have a really tough road,” Lampo said.

Lampo said he is not optimistic Gilmore would have a favorable view toward gay issues considering the conservative wing of the Republican Party that he traditionally supports.

Gilmore spokesperson Ana Gamonal said Gilmore would be the best candidate to represent Virginia because he did a good job of growing the economy while he was governor.

“He thinks senators should be principled and be folks who keep their promises,” Gamonal said, referring to how Warner’s restructured tax policy, which she said raised taxes, even though he promised in his campaign not to do so.

Gamonal called Warner a “tax-and-spend liberal” and said he “raided” Virginia’s treasury after it was filled by Gilmore.

Gamonal would not discuss Gilmore’s opinion of Marshall and said Gilmore is more focused on defeating Warner.

When asked why the Virginia gay community should support Gilmore’s candidacy, Gamonal said individuals of all communities are interested in seeing their country grow and keeping leaders accountable to their promises.

Gamonal declined to discuss how Gilmore would vote on gay-related legislation such as employment discrimination, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” or hate crimes.

Lampo said he could not imagine that Gilmore would not win over Marshall for the Republican nomination, but predicted that Gilmore would have difficulty winning against Warner, the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Warner spokesperson Kevin Hall predicts the gay community will be interested in voting for Warner because he supported the community during his tenure ...