Retiring GOP Congressman's Son Contributes Maximum Allowed Donation to Flip Father's Seat Blue

On Sunday, San Francisco-based product designer and investor Bobby Goodlatte announced that he has contributed the legal maximum donation to the campaign of Jennifer Lewis, the Democrat running for Virginia's 6th Congressional District.

The one wrinkle: Bobby Goodlatte's father is Bob Goodlatte, the Republican House Judiciary Chairman, and the current holder of that congressional seat.

The legal maximum amount that can be donated by an individual directly to a campaign is $2,700 per cycle.

The elder Goodlatte, who announced his retirement from Congress last year, is a reliable ally of Trump, voting with him 95 percent of the time including on health care repeal and tax cuts for the mega-wealthy. As Judiciary Chairman, he also played a role in the GOP's sham investigations to discredit the FBI and the Mueller investigation, claiming the process has been poisoned by "insider bias."

The younger Goodlatte's commitment to flip his father's seat was met with praise, with investor and guest "Shark Tank" host Chris Sacca saying he is "moved by his bravery."

The 6th district covers the northwestern portion of Virginia. Lewis, an environmentalist and mental health worker from Waynesboro, is running on a platform including Medicare for All, a $15 minimum wage, marijuana legalization, and restrictions on corporate and bank power. Her Republican opponent is state delegate Ben Cline.

The Goodlattes are not the only "house divided" in the 2018 election cycle. Earlier this year, the parents of Wisconsin GOP Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson made the news for donating the legal maximum to Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, which Nicholson himself decried in a Fox News op-ed as a "personal blow" and a "true representation of the intolerance" of the Democratic Party.