Virginia GOP flips deep blue county seat after Dem rocked by resurfaced racist posts
A Virginia Democrat who refused calls from prominent party leaders to drop out of the Prince William County supervisor race over racist social media posts was projected to lose his...
By Fox News · Fox News
A Virginia Democrat who refused calls from prominent party leaders to drop out of the Prince William County supervisor race over racist social media posts was projected to lose his bid, handing Republicans a pickup in the Washington exurbs. The defeat followed public rebukes from several top state and local Democrats, who said Muhammad "Sef" Casim had disqualified himself and urged him to step aside. Casim remained in the race, however, saying the stakes were too high to withdraw. Republican Realtor Jeanne LaCroix was poised to win the Woodbridge District seat, marking a Republican gain in a county that has trended Democratic in recent years. Prince William County, once a conservative stronghold during the Obama era, became known nationally for hardline immigration policies before shifting left alongside Northern Virginia’s suburban growth. VIRGINIA REPUBLICANS CHARGE 'POWER GRAB' AS DEMOCRAT WHO BACKED REDISTRICTING RUNS FOR CONGRESS In a statement apologizing for his previous social media posts, Casim blamed a "lack of maturity" at the time and equated his behavior with that of prior Republican leadership in Prince William. "I posted some comments on social media that are deeply offensive and hurtful, especially to the African American community. The tweets I wrote in my youth are not a reflection of my character and who I am today," the Muslim-Pakistani immigrant wrote. "As a Muslim-American who has experienced what it’s like to live in America after 9/11, discussions around cultural sensitivity are very important to me," Casim added before referencing former Chairman Corey Stewart, who championed the county’s circa-2007 immigration "papers" policy that required police to check immigration status. While the social media page where the messages appeared has since been taken down, records from other sources, including the Prince William County Republican Committee , cited posts "comparing Israel to Nazi Germany, endorsing the persecution of Christians and accusing…