This is sickening.
But entirely predictable. This is what happens when the local GOP puts up milquetoast and ‘civil’ candidates, or fails to support those candidates who aren’t feeble doormats (remember what the VA GOP did to Cuccinelli), and then wonders why people don’t get out and vote. It’s also what happens when GOP members say that they won’t vote for -insert descriptor here- Republicans, even those who are more conservative than they are, after the primaries are over - and then stay home. We have plenty of those here on FR, even.
The time to express your preferences for which candidate you want to see run as a Republican is during the primaries. Afterwards, hold your nose and vote Republican - or you will get Virginia.
Further, this was easy to see coming anyway. Virginia banned radar detectors in 1962 and has somehow never been able to repeal it. They always justify it as “Well, radar detectors can be used for criminality, so we don’t want to repeal the law, do we?”
Short step from there to guns.
And even if the GOP takes back the government in the next few cycles (something I have little confidence in due to the issues mentioned in my prior post) VA being what it is they may never repeal the gun restrictions.