A Virginia judge has issued a protective order against Republican state Representative A.C. Cordoza after he allegedly confronted a supporter of his Democratic opponent, Virgil Thornton, “while armed with a gun” inside a government building.
Thornton, who’s challenging Cordoza for his seat in the Virginia legislature, announced Saturday that the order was granted following what he called “an ongoing pattern of intimidation.”
“A protective order was issued against Delegate A.C. Cordoza after he harassed a supporter of the Virgil Thornton campaign yesterday at the Hampton City registrar’s office while armed with a gun – just four days after harassing Virgil’s niece,” the statement from Thornton’s campaign said. “This ongoing pattern of intimidation is dangerous, unacceptable, and makes clear that Delegate Cordoza is unfit to hold public office.”
The confrontation allegedly took place at the Hampton City registrar’s office — a government building — and came on the heels of a previous clash between the campaigns that already landed both sides in court.
Just days before the latest incident, a separate protective order had been granted against a member of Thornton’s campaign staff — who happens to be Thornton’s niece — after Cordoza accused her of threatening to “put a knot” in his head.
Cordoza defended his actions, telling Fox News that he took the threat seriously.
“One of my opponent’s campaign workers got upset and decided it was a great idea to threaten me – and in today’s day and age with the left’s political violence and just where we are in this climate, I wasn’t going to take any chances,”
Cordoza said.
Thornton, however, rejected Cordoza’s account and said the lawmaker was the aggressor — not the victim. According to Thornton, Cordoza “surrounded” his niece and “used his size to intimidate her.”
“Sadly, this is not the first time he’s been on the wrong side of the law,” the Thornton campaign’s statement continued.
“In fact, his most recent TV ad even featured a wanted fugitive. We’re grateful to law enforcement for their quick response and professionalism in deescalating the situation. The safety of our volunteers and staff is our top priority, and we’ve again instructed them to keep their distance from the delegate for their own protection.”
The protective order underscores how bitter — and now potentially dangerous — the race for this Virginia seat has become. What began as a heated campaign is now mired in accusations of harassment, intimidation, and threats, with both candidates trading blame and legal filings as Election Day looms.
