Virginia House Votes Against Seating Richmond Prosecutor, Believed 1st Openly Gay Nominee, to Bench

The House of Delegates, voting in Tuesday’s early morning hours, blocked an openly gay Richmond prosecutor from appointment to a General District Court judgeship in the city.

Tracy Thorne-Begland received 33 yes votes, 31 no votes — all from Republicans — and 10 abstentions in his bid to become what gay-rights advocates said would have been Virginia’s first openly gay jurist. Twenty-six House members, including seven Democrats, did not vote.