Ex-sheriff turned Virginia GOP Senate hopeful once laughed about failure to solve rape cases

Democratic and GOP strategists will be paying close attention to some key races on Tuesday, November 7 — from Kentucky's gubernatorial election to a Pennsylvania Supreme Court battle. The outcomes of these races could give both of the United States' two major parties some insights on what may lie ahead in 2024.

November 7 will also see races that will determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the Virginia State Legislature next year. One of those races finds Democratic State Sen. Monty Mason up against GOP challenger Danny Diggs, a former county sheriff.

Diggs is drawing criticism for his handling of rape cases when he was in law enforcement. The Republican, according to The New Republic's Tori Otten, "once joked about how many rape cases he failed to solve while working as a sheriff."

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"By his own admission," Otten reports, "(Diggs) didn't have the best track record when it came to sexual assault cases."

Diggs retired as sheriff in late 2022. During a retirement speech, he recalled that the department once "solved a rape case" but said "it must have been 30 years ago." Diggs, during the speech, asked his successor, now-Sheriff Ron Montgomery, "Was that the only one we ever solved?"

Diggs and Montgomery, Otten notes, laughed as Diggs said, "We don't want to get into that."

Otten writes, "Diggs' joke is horrifying, as it shows how little regard he has for certain types of crime. Most rape cases in Virginia go unsolved. A 2019 study found that fewer than 20 percent of sexual assault cases in the state end with an arrest. Diggs' callous comment is a sign that he is a part of that problem. But Diggs' disregard for sexual rights and autonomy goes farther. In a September interview with conservative podcaster John Fredericks, Diggs said he wanted to crack down on 'crime' by jailing doctors who perform abortions."

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Read the New Republic's full report at this link.