The Terrifying Connections Between Arizona GOP Legislators & Right-Wing Militias
By Emily Kirkland
The support from Arizona Republican legislators for extremist, right wing violence is horrifying.
If you live in Surprise, Sun City or Peoria, you’re represented in the state legislature by David Livingston, who has been defending the Kenosha shooter on social media.
If you live in Chandler or Gilbert, you could be represented next year by Liz Harris, who has been promoting regular pro-police protests, including one last week that turned violent, with pro-police attendees punching counter-protestors and making Nazi salutes.
If you live in Oro Valley, Marana or Maricopa, you are represented by Mark Finchem, who is a member of an extremist right-wing militia, the Oath Keepers.
If you live in Flagstaff, Sedona, Cottonwood, Payson or many other parts of Northern Arizona, you could soon be represented by Wendy Rogers, who is also an Oath Keepers member.
If you live in Prescott, Camp Verde or Cottonwood, you are represented in Congress by Paul Gosar, who has been defending the Kenosha shooter aggressively on social media.
The level of support is especially horrifying given that local racial justice and police accountability organizations have received multiple death threats over the last few days.
The Arizona Republican Party, the Arizona House Republicans and the Arizona Senate Republicans have not made any statements about the support for far-right militias, white supremacists, or violence from their legislative candidates.
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce, which put out a press release in June about joining an initiative to participate and improve “racial equity”, and which endorsed Livingston and Finchem before the August 4 primary, has also said nothing.
We are calling on Republican leaders and organizations to condemn vigilante violence, extremist militias and those who support them. And we are calling on Arizonans to vote these violent extremists out of office, and to organize, speak up, and protect one another.