Del. Bob Marshall (R., Manassas) said Monday (April 14) that Jim Gilmore’s refusal to debate is leaving delegates to next month’s Republican State Convention “virtually in the dark” on important issues before they select a nominee for the U.S. Senate.

Marshall and Gilmore are vying for the nomination. On Friday, Marshall proposed that Gilmore and he, along with a third candidate, meet in a series of debates before the May 30-31 nominating convention at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. The Washington Times has offered to host the first debate.

Ana Gamonal, communications director for Jim Gilmore's U.S. Senate campaign, was interviewed within the last several days by Cybercast News Service correspondent Evan Moore for a CNS article, “Social Conservatives Rally to Marshall in VA Senate Race.”

Del. Bob Marshall (R., Manassas) said Friday (April 11) that candidates seeking the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate “owe it to Virginia’s Republican voters to meet in a series of five debates across the Old Dominion.”

“Only in this way will the delegates to next month’s Republican State Convention be able to select the best candidate to face Mark Warner in the November general election,” Marshall said.  “Today I sent letters to Jim Gilmore and Bob Berry asking them if they would join me in arranging such a series of debates.”

Del. Bob Marshall is urging Gov. Tim Kaine to petition the federal Environmental Protection Agency for a temporary biofuels waiver in order to cut rising food prices for Virginians, reduce pollution of the Chesapeake Bay, save state budget funds, and help Virginia’s farm and watermen families.

Marshall (R., Manassas), in a letter e-mailed to the governor today (April  9), said “the inflationary federal biofuels mandate,” which requires that 9 billion gallons of ethanol and other biofuels be substituted this year for other types of fuel in Virginia, “has created a food-versus-fuel conflict in our economy.”