The sister of newly unseated Republican Virginia Delegate Bob Marshall, 73, has denounced him as a homophobe and said that his loss to a transgender delegate was ‘karma’.
Marshall, a 13-term incumbent social conservative, lost to ex-journalist Democrat Danica Roem, 33, on Tuesday, making her the first openly transgender person to be elected and seated in state legislature.
On Thursday it emerged that Marshall’s sister, actress Paula Marshall Nucci, 53, had attacked her brother on Facebook, saying that his ‘judgemental and homophobic’ attitude robbed him of the chance to ‘lose with dignity’.
Denounced: Actress Paula Marshall Nucci (left) denounced her brother Bob Marshall (right) as ‘judgmental and homophobic’ following the loss of his 13-year tenure in the Virginia legislature
Winner: Marshall lost to transgender candidate Danica Roem (pictured during her campaign in June) on Tuesday – something that Marshall Nucci said was ‘karma’
No dignity: Marshall Nucci said that her brother’s insistence on calling Roem ‘him’ and refusal to engage in debate ensured that he lost his job and his dignity
Marshall Nucci wrote: ‘That was my brother who lost his seat in the House of Delegates race in Va.
‘He wouldn’t debate her, he wouldn’t call her “her” or “she”. Maybe if he weren’t so judgmental and homophobic, he could have lost with dignity.
‘I’m not happy my brother lost his job, but all I can say is, karma brother.’
Marshall Nucci is an actress whose roles include a transgender girlfriend to Jon Cryer’s character on ‘Two and a Half Men’ – although she herself is not trans.
Her Facebook post was made friends-only, but shared on Twitter by songwriter Holly O’Reilly, who called the statement ‘beautiful’.
Whether Marshall himself saw the post isn’t known, but it’s unlikely he was too upset by her remarks, as he has previously proudly called himself Virginia’s ‘chief homophobe’ and authored the state’s anti-transgender bathroom ban.
In an interview with Breitbart he called Roem ‘a guy who thinks he’s a girl who wears a dress’ before claiming that most people do not realize she is transgender, and see her instead as ‘an odd-looking woman.’
Roem openly discussed her gender identity during her campaign, but it was far from her focus.
Actress: Although she is not transgender, Marshall Nucci played a transgender girlfriend to Jon Cryer in the sitcom Two and a Half Men (pictured)
Transition: Democrat Danica Roem of Virginia made history as the first openly transgender person elected and seated in a state legislature (Roem seen on Tuesday)
Instead, she talked about jobs, schools and, with particular fervor, northern Virginia’s traffic congestion.
Marshall, meanwhile, spent the entire campaign referring to Roem as ‘him.’
But after her win Roem refused to attack her opponent, saying: ‘He’ll be one of my constituents and I’m not going to attack my constituents.’
The race was one of the year’s most high profile, drawing international attention and big money to the northern Virginia House of Delegates district outside the nation’s capital.
‘It’s historic. … It sends a message to politicians everywhere that the politics of bigotry is over,’ said Democratic House Caucus Chair Charniele Herring.
Roem received some big support in her campaign when she got the endorsement of Joe Biden earlier this year.
The former vice president also called her up and congratulated her after her historic win, a moment that caused Roem to drop to her knees in excitement and disbelief.
‘As someone who spent decades riding the train to work, I’m proud today to endorse Danica Roem’s historic candidacy, because I know her emphasis on improving transportation infrastructure is critical to improving the quality of life for thousands of Virginians,’ said Biden in a statement last month.
‘I know she’d make people of her lifelong home of Prince William County proud by working to improve their commutes and strengthen the middle class while serving them with compassion in Richmond and Manassas.’
Thumbs up: Roem defeated 13-term incumbent Bob Marshall, who has been in the legislature since 1992 and authored the state’s anti-trans bathroom-ban bill
Let’s get loud: Roem is seen here performing with her metal band (above)
Roem started pursuing therapy to begin her gender transition when she was 28, and said in an interview during the campaign that politics should be inclusive of all.
‘No matter what you look like, where you come from, how you worship or who you love, if you have good public policy ideas, if you’re qualified for office, you have every right to bring your ideas to the table,’ she said.
Roem also argued that Marshall, who has served in the House since 1992, has spent too much time on social policy.
A lightning rod for controversy, Marshall often drew the ire of even his own party.
In addition to this year’s bathroom bill, Marshall was also the author of a now-void constitutional amendment that defined marriage as between one man and one woman, and sponsored a bill banning gay people from openly serving in the Virginia National Guard.
On the campaign trail, Marshall and other Republicans repeatedly misidentified Roem’s gender.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Marshall said: ‘For 26 years I’ve been proud to fight for you, and fight for our future.
‘Though we all wish tonight would have turned out differently, I am deeply grateful for your support and effort over the years.’
Too kind: ‘He’ll be one of my constituents and I’m not going to attack my constituents,’ said Roem after her win over Marshall (above)
In it to win it: Roem focused on jobs, schools and northern Virginia’s traffic congestion in her campaign. She is pictured here emotional after getting a call from Joe Biden
Roem, who sings in a metal band in her spare time, said she learned to listen to different perspectives and digest complicated policy as a reporter for the Gainesville Times and Prince William Times, skills she would bring to bear as a delegate.
She has a boyfriend of two years, who she doesn’t name publicly, and considers his nine-year-old daughter her step-daughter.
Roem wasn’t the only transgender candidate elected Tuesday. Tyler Titus, who is openly transgender, won a seat on a western Pennsylvania school board.
And Andrea Jenkins became the first openly trans woman of color elected to the city council of a major US city when she was elected to represent Ward 8 of Minneapolis on Tuesday.
‘2017 will be remembered as the year of the trans candidate – and Danica’s heroic run for office the centerpiece of that national movement,’ said Aisha C. Moodie-Mills, president & CEO of Victory Fund, in a statement.
The moment of victory: Danica lives with her boyfriend, who she has not been named, and his nine-year-old child whom she considers her stepdaughter (Roem above learning she had won)