Shannon Taylor, a Democrat, once supported progressive prosecutors who wanted less jail time and more diversity, which some say led to problems in Virginia.

Taylor fired seven prosecutors when she started her job in 2012.

Taylor said she wanted more diversity in her office and would keep saying that publicly.

People are criticizing Taylor for putting her political views ahead of public safety, which is different from what her campaign says about her.

A former prosecutor who accused Trump of misusing the DOJ won a Democratic primary.

Shannon Taylor, a lawyer, left a court in Charlottesville, Virginia, on June 4, 2024.

Taylor talked about her work as she won a crowded Democratic primary to challenge Republican Rep. Rob Wittman.

Taylor's campaign website says she has tried many cases and put away violent criminals and fraudsters, but this hasn't always been how she appeared.

Taylor didn't always seem tough on crime.

After firing prosecutors, Taylor tried to hire a woman named Misty Whitehead, but Whitehead had posted things on social media that seemed to attack police.

The county manager didn't like Taylor's choice for the job.

The manager said he wouldn't give local money to pay Whitehead's salary, and Taylor couldn't force him to.

Whitehead had talked about police behavior and social justice, which worried some officials.

Taylor defended Whitehead, saying her posts were thoughtful analysis.

Taylor knows other prosecutors who think like her, and some of them have been in the news for bad things that happened.

A Virginia area has seen a lot of crime by illegal immigrants.

A man named Abdul Jalloh is accused of killing a woman at a bus stop in Virginia.

Jalloh, who is from Sierra Leone, had been arrested many times before and was known to be violent.

Jalloh had been charged with rape, assault, and other crimes, but prosecutor Steve Descano dropped many of those charges.

Descano's decisions have upset lawmakers, who think he should have been tougher.

A congressman criticized Descano for dropping a case against a man who preyed on children.

The congressman said Descano's decision was shameful and allowed a bad person to go free.

Taylor had supported Descano's campaign to be prosecutor in 2019.

Taylor said she was excited to endorse Descano because they shared the same values and wanted to make Fairfax a safe and just place.

Taylor and Descano wrote a letter to the Biden Administration with other prosecutors.

The letter said that being tough on crime wasn't fair and suggested changes to the justice system, like not using certain words to describe criminals.

The authors of the letter said some prosecutors were redefining what it means to be a prosecutor.

A teenager in Oklahoma was accused of rape but didn't face consequences, which upset the district attorney.

Steve Descano and Sheriff Stacey Ann Kincaid testified before Congress.

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A Republican criticized Taylor's record as a prosecutor.

A spokesperson for the Republican National Committee said Taylor put identity politics ahead of public safety and tried to turn Virginia into a place with far-left policies.

The spokesperson called Taylor the 'DEI queen' and said she chose to be a consultant instead of making Virginia safer.

Taylor will face Rep. Rob Wittman in the general election on November 3.

Taylor won the Democratic primary, and now she will challenge Wittman, who won his last election with 56.3% of the vote.

Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital and used to work for World Magazine.