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A Democratic candidate for a House of Delegates seat in Hampton Roads apologized to fellow Democrats for “totally inappropriate and offensive” Facebook posts. The posts included derogatory sexual references.

Tom Brock, who made the apology, is running in the June 13 Democratic primary against Kelly Fowler in House District 21 in Virginia Beach, which includes part of Chesapeake. The winner will face either Del. Ronald A. Villanueva, R-Virginia Beach, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, or Bill Haley, who is challenging Villanueva in a GOP primary.

Brock, 48, sent the apology email March 23 to Democratic Party officials. His campaign released it to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, along with a second statement of apology, after the newspaper asked about his social media posts. A source not affiliated with any of the candidates provided the postings to the Times-Dispatch.

In his March email of apology to Democratic officials, he wrote: “As you know several comments taken from my Facebook page were sent to many of you. ... I am taking this opportunity to take full responsibility for making these comments and to ask each of you to consider forgiving me for such an unsettling display.

“The sense of shame that I feel regarding those comments can only be described as mortifying.”