March 2, 2021 News & Press Releases

Kirk Cox is a Hyper-Partisan Extremist Who is Unfit to Lead


by Democratic Party of Virginia

Richmond, VA — In this year’s General Assembly session, Kirk Cox doubled down on the far right positions and failed leadership that led Virginians to reduce him to a back-bench extremist. It’s clear that Cox’s only priority is his flailing campaign for governor — and he’s worried. Instead of working to provide solutions to any of the pressing issues facing Virginia, Cox spent this session taking far right positions and scrambling to catch up to frontrunner Amanda Chase.

Kirk Cox’s voting record “is not that different” from Amanda Chase’s, and they have both demonstrated a complete failure to lead on anything. Along with Amanda Chase, Cox was one of only 13 out 139 legislators who failed to pass a single bill this session. Cox continued to put himself far to the right of a majority of Virginians and voted against a litany of crucial policies to move Virginia forward in the face of this devastating pandemic. Cox voted:

  • Against marriage equality — which he calls a “matter of conscience”
  • Against abolishing the death penalty
  • Against the landmark Virginia Voting Rights Act
  • Against restoring felons’ voting rights once their sentences are completed
  • Against legalizing marijuana for people 21 and older
  • Against providing paid sick leave to essential workers
  • Against banning the "LGBTQ panic" defense
  • Against removing the ban on insurance plans from covering abortion

Cox also voted against a transformative, bipartisan budget that:

  • Provides a pay raise for Virginia teachers and police officers
  • Supports crucial COVID-19 vaccination efforts 
  • Provides $443 million to protect K-12 schools against losses caused by the pandemic, and includes additional funding for more support staff
  • Invests $100 million in broadband infrastructure

"In the face of this devastating pandemic, Kirk Cox has put his weak, desperate campaign over providing solutions to the most pressing issues Virginia faces," said Manuel Bonder, DPVA spokesman. "Kirk Cox’s long track record as a hyperpartisan extremist shows exactly how he would govern, and the fact that he spent this entire session prioritizing his flailing campaign is exactly why he is unfit to lead."

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