That is the question one candidate running as a Republican running in Virginia’s 3rd District is posing to voters. Many of them just don’t know it yet.
Madison Downs has been running as a pro-Trump Republican in the District. A newcomer to Republican politics, he says he wants to rally people around conservative ideas and bring new people to the party. He has fought the establishment tooth and nail and tried to make the case that his primary opponents, John Collick and George Yacus, are not up to the job. So far this sounds like politics as usual, but these are only Downs’ words. As we all know, actions speak far louder than words.
In 2016, when Hillary Clinton ran unsuccessfully against Donald Trump for the Presidency, Downs voted Democrat. In 2017 when Republicans fought tooth and nail to keep control of the General Assembly, Downs voted Democrat. In 2018, when there was no local election in the 3rd District and, according to state voter lists, less than 600 people came out to vote, Downs voted Democrat. Less than 600 voters came out to cast their ballot in statewide Democratic primary elections. Months later long term Democratic Representative Bobby Scott would get almost 200,000 votes in his uncontested election. That means that the fewer than 600 people that showed up for the primaries weren’t just Democrats, they were hardcore Democrats.
They were the Democrats that liberals rely on to support them in every election. Of those Democrats that they rely on most, John Harrison Madison Downs was among them (this is Madison Downs’ full name, he will appear on the Republican primary ballot as J.H. Madison Downs). This all comes from voter records that indicate he voted on Democratic ballots in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Accessing records going back 9 years, there is no record of Downs voting for a Republican or conservative candidate. Madison has also stated that he voted for Obama in 2008 and there is no clear record of who he voted for in 2012. Going back over a decade, there is only support of Democrats to be found. I have provided the source material in terms of pictures that were given to me to The Bull Elephant to be posted here, I have also provided the full 2018 3rd District Democratic Primary voter list so editors of The Bull Elephant could verify for themselves. Like them, you shouldn’t take my word on this. Rather, you should be able to look and decide for yourself.
President Trump has changed a lot of minds. He has shown what the Republican Party can be to more Americans. Perhaps Madison’s mind was changed as well? I may have believed that until after seeing this voter information, and I began to look further. Madison Downs is a big proponent of social media, he pushes people towards his Facebook and Twitter accounts so he can speak to his supporters directly. That is where I found the most troubling part. Madison Downs’ campaign Twitter account looks like it used to be his own personal Twitter account that he changed the name of to use for his campaign, this made sure he started with some followers to pay attention to his campaign.
It also meant that his old Tweets were still out there and connected directly to the account.
While Downs officially announced his campaign to be the Republican nominee in the 3rd District in September 2019, only months before he was taking to Twitter to attack President Trump directly. Saying that a white supremacist domestic terrorist was one of Trump’s “people,” telling the President that he is against free speech, calling President Trump an idiot with the hashtag #stupid, telling the President that simply discussing issues concerning Americans was “wasting taxpayer dollars,” and telling the President that he needs to learn the Constitution. These weren’t Tweets during the contested Republican primary or when we knew our now President as the main man from The Apprentice, this is while President Trump was in office. This all went up until May 2019. On May 12, 2019 Madison Downs said that the President was bothered by Freedom of Speech. A few months later, he magically decided he was a Republican.
We’re talking about a man who voted Democrat. And did it again. And again.
We’re talking about a man who disparaged the President. And did it again. And again.
But then decided he’s been a Republican all along?
Pictures of what I found I have provided to The Bull Elephant because I want you to decide.
Is Madison Downs a convert? Is he a liar? Is he a plant of the Democratic Party?
I don’t believe the man is a Republican, I don’t believe he is a conservative. That belief has nothing to do with the man and nothing to do with his words. That belief is based upon his actions.
Because actions speak louder than words.
A few examples:
