¶ Overview
- During his time in the Virginia State Senate, McGuire was the only senator to vote against legislation banning child marriage. McGuire later defended his vote and claimed, “we need more families.” From 2000 to 2021, an estimated 7,876 minors were married in Virginia, over eighty percent of whom were married to adult men.
¶ 2024: McGuire Was The Only Virginia State Senator To Vote Against Banning Child Marriage
¶ March 2024: McGuire Was The Only State Senator To Vote Against HB 994, Which Set THe Legal Age Of Marriage To be 18
3/5/24: McGuire Was The Only State Senator To Vote Against HB 994, Which Set The Legal Age Of Marriage In Virginia To Be 18. According to the Virginia Legislative Information System,
[Virginia Legislative Information System, “Marriage; establishes legal age to be 18 years,” Introduced 1/9/24, Vote 3/5/24]
- McGuire Voted In March 2024 To Vote Down Legislation In Virginia Banning Child Marriage. The Republican challenger to Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) is drawing outrage on social media for his vote in March against legislation closing a loophole that allowed some minors in the state of Virginia to get married. State senator John McGuire (R), a former Navy SEAL, is currently leading the right-wing House Freedom Caucus chair by just 0.5% in a cliffhanger primary contest that is testing the influence of an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. […] Amid the tense primary challenge, a number of social media users highlighted a decision McGuire took in March to vote down state legislation banning child marriage.” [Daily Dot, 6/20/24]
- According To The Anti-Child Marriage Nonprofit Unchained At Last, An Estimated 7,876 Minors Were Married In Virginia Between 2000 And 2021, Eighty Percent Of Whom Were Married To Adult Men. According to Unchained At Last, “This means Virginia is now closing a dangerous legal loophole that allowed 16- and 17-year-olds to be legally trafficked under the guise of marriage. The loophole also allowed teens to be entered into the serious contract of marriage before they have the full rights of adulthood, which created a nightmarish legal trap for them. And the loophole ignored the reality that marriage before age 18 is recognized as a human rights abuse that destroys nearly every aspect of a girl’s life. Our research found that some 7,876 minors as young as 12 were entered into marriage in Virginia between 2000 and 2021, including at least 65 who were married since the current law went into effect — and more than 80% were girls wed to adult men. Almost all of the marriages since 2000 involved a minor who was not even old enough to consent to sex with their spouse.” [Unchained At Last, 4/9/24]
- According To The Anti-Child Marriage Nonprofit Unchained At Last, Allowing Child Marriage Undermined Statutory Rape Laws And Could Be A Form Of Human Trafficking. According to Unchained At Last, “Child marriage undermines statutory rape laws. In most states and under federal law, sex with a child that would otherwise be considered rape – in some cases, felony rape – becomes legal within marriage. In those situations, the marriage license becomes a ‘get out of jail free’ card for a child rapist. In some states, statutory rape remains a crime within marriage. The marriage is legal, but sex within the marriage is rape. In those situations, the state that issues the marriage license sends a child home to be raped. At least 66,415 child marriages in the U.S. since 2000 occurred at an age or with a spousal age difference that should have been considered a sex crime. Of those child marriages, 90% gave a rapist a ‘get out of jail free’ card, while 10% sent a child home to be raped. Either way, the marriage license made a mockery of statutory rape laws. Child marriage can also be a form of human trafficking. Due to loopholes in immigration laws, thousands of American girls are being trafficked legally for their citizenship, forced to marry adult men from overseas so the men can get a U.S. visa. Similarly, American men are legally importing child brides from overseas.” [Unchained At Last, “Forced/Child Marriage,” Viewed 2/20/26]
¶ 2026: mcguire defended his vote Against banning child marriage
HEADLINE: "AUDIO: Virginia Congressman Defends 2024 Child Marriage Vote" [Virginia Dogwood, 5/19/26]
When Asked To Defend His Vote Against Banning Child Marriage, McGuire Responded “We Need More Families.” According to Virginia Dogwood, "Dogwood has obtained audio of Republican Virginia Congressman John McGuire from earlier this year in which he explains his 2024 vote against raising the marriage age to 18. McGuire, who represents Virginia’s 5th congressional district, was the lone vote in the Virginia Senate against a bill to raise the legal marriage age in Virginia from 16 to 18. It passed out of the House of Delegates in a 57-40 vote. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin ultimately signed it into law. Prior to the law changing, Virginia allowed children 16 and older to marry if a judge approved and emancipated the minor involved. American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic research group, shared audio with Dogwood from a February event in Prince Edward County where McGuire was asked about the rationale behind his vote against raising the legal marriage age. ‘We need more families,’ McGuire said. ‘If a young man and a young girl get pregnant, they need to have a marriage.’" [Virginia Dogwood, 5/19/26]
McGuire Refused To Comment When Asked About The Audio Of Him Defending His Vote Against Banning Child Marriage. According to Virginia Dogwood, "American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic research group, shared audio with Dogwood from a February event in Prince Edward County where McGuire was asked about the rationale behind his vote against raising the legal marriage age. ‘We need more families,’ McGuire said. ‘If a young man and a young girl get pregnant, they need to have a marriage.’ Dogwood shared the audio with McGuire’s office in an email seeking comment for this story. McGuire’s communications director, Brittany Slaughter, told Dogwood in an email, ‘The Congressman has no comment at this time.’" [Virginia Dogwood, 5/19/26]