In a result that few political observers expected, Republican candidate Jeannie LaCroix pulled off a major upset Tuesday, winning a county-level seat in heavily Democratic Prince William County, Virginia.
LaCroix, 64, defeated Democratic nominee Muhammed Sufiyan Casim, a 36-year-old Pakistani immigrant and Muslim candidate whose campaign was rocked by the resurfacing of controversial social media posts from more than a decade ago.
According to reports from Potomac Local News, Casim made a series of posts during the 2010s that included racist, misogynistic, and antisemitic language. The comments quickly became a major issue in the race, overshadowing the campaign in the final days before voters went to the polls.
Casim acknowledged the posts in an interview with the Prince William Times, saying he had used the N-word “foolishly” when he was in his twenties. He claimed he did not fully understand the cultural weight of the word at the time and said he had used it while referring to a Black friend.
“I wasn’t realizing the cultural weight and the context, so I used that word foolishly, but not in a derogatory or prejudicial way,” Casim said in the interview, adding that many young people in his social circles used similar language at the time.
Despite the controversy, Casim chose to stay in the race. In a March 2 post on X, he addressed the backlash and argued that rhetoric from a former Republican chairman of the Board of Supervisors had emboldened extremists, while also referencing his experience as a Muslim American after the September 11 attacks.
But the political damage appeared to have already been done.
When the votes were counted, LaCroix secured 43.7% of the vote, while Casim finished with 37.0%, according to results from the Prince William County Office of Elections.
The outcome was also influenced by a fractured Democratic vote. Write-in candidates captured a sizable 19.2% of ballots, largely due to the late entry of Democrat Pamela Montgomery into the race.
Montgomery, who had lost the Democratic primary to Casim, launched a last-minute write-in campaign just a week before Election Day, citing the fallout from the resurfaced posts.
In a letter published by the Prince William Times, Montgomery—who is Black—argued that confronting racism should be fundamental for members of her party.
“For Democrats, confronting racism is not optional. It is foundational,” she wrote, adding that when racist language appears from someone seeking office, the proper response should be to acknowledge it, condemn it, and demand accountability.
In the end, the controversy split the Democratic base and opened the door for LaCroix to secure a surprising victory in a district widely considered safely blue.
And sometimes politics offers a simple reminder: when voters are given a clear choice and the facts are on the table, even the bluest districts can deliver a result that shakes up the political map.
