RICHMOND, Va. (CNN) – Lawmakers in Virginia have voted down Tracy Thorne-Begland’s nomination as a judge to the Richmond General District Courts. The vote was 33-31 with 10 abstentions. He needed 51 votes.
Delegate Bob Marshall (R -Manassas) wanted Thorne-Begland, who is openly gay, removed from consideration because of the prosecutor’s past involvement with the gay rights movement, most notably his network interview about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
“I don’t even think it’s proper to put his name forward because of his behavior,” said Marshall.
“I would like to thank my sponsors, Sen. Donald McEachin, and Delegates Jennifer McClellan and Manoli Loupassi and my family for their support,” Thorne-Begland said in a statement published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
