Participants at Trump’s Jan. 6 rally push false election claims in Virginia legislative campaigns

By SARAH RANKIN and ALI SWENSON
Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Most Republican candidates running for the Virginia legislature this year are centering their pitches to voters on issues such as education, the cost of living and gun rights. But for a small segment of contenders, former President Donald Trump’s false claims of a rigged 2020 election have become an important campaign selling point heading into Tuesday’s primary. At least six Republican candidates for the General Assembly attended Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally or the subsequent march to the Capitol. Another is a lawyer who worked on Trump’s attempts to reverse his loss in Wisconsin, a result that was affirmed in recounts and audits.