Purcellville Paper Calls Out LaRock On Forum Debate

The Purcellville Gazette called out a western Loudoun political candidate this month for misrepresenting the negotiation of an Oct. 16 forum sponsored by the paper.

David LaRock, the Republican running for the 33rd House of Delegates seat, or someone with the campaign posted a message online suggesting the Gazette had been unwilling to accommodate LaRock's schedule for the event, stating, in part, that the “Gazette went ahead with promoting and holding their event knowing that Dave could not be there.”

His opponents, Democrat Mary C. Daniel and Libertarian Patrick Hagerty, attended the event.

The Gazette responded by detailing the exchange with LaRock’s campaign and saying he had been offered the opportunity to select another date but never did.

“To suggest the Purcellville Gazette misled our readers when, in fact, Mr. LaRock was side-stepping his opponents in public, is disappointing,” the paper wrote in a statement published on its website and shared with other media outlets.

The paper pointed to other events LaRock has not attended, such as a forum in Berryville and another sponsored by the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce.

LaRock’s campaign told The Washington Post, “We stand by the fact that we turned down the Gazette’s offer of a forum when the offer was made ­– a week before the event was scheduled.”

The campaign also told the Post that LaRock attended an Oct. 10 forum with the American Association of University Women in Winchester.

Check out the full Gazette response here. In addition, Leesburg Today covered the story.

[Editor’s note: The Washington Post story was not yet online, but was in the Loudoun Extra section Sunday.]