Illinois GOP candidate for house of representatives Burt Minor, has refused to step down his candidacy after he asked fellow Republican Erika Harold if she is a ‘lesbo’ and if she is offended by the ‘n’ word Citing how “not all Republican voters are comfortable discussing issues of race and sexual orientation.”
Claiming their meeting has been greatly misrepresented, Burt Minor in a statement said that the meeting of last Last October, was at the request of Erika Harold’s campaign.
They were to discuss the challenges she might face in her campaign for the Republican nomination for Attorney General. Our meeting has been greatly misrepresented. That he was merely pointing out that ‘Not all Republican voters are comfortable discussing issues of race and sexual orientation’.
‘I wish it were different, but it is a reality those of us active in the Republican Party’s leadership’ Minor said.
Under fire from his own party, GOP candidate Burt Minor is defending himself amid allegations that he reportedly asked a fellow Republican Erika Harold, a candidate for attorney general if she was a “lesbo” or offended by the n-word. Harold, a Harvard trained attorney, is African American
Illinois candidate for Attorney General, Erika Harold [R], allegedly was asked if she is a ‘lesbo’ and if she is offended by the ‘n’ word by Burt Minor
Now, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Republican floor leader of the Illinois House, Peter Breen, have joined the voices calling for the candidate, Burt Minor, to drop out of a race for state representative.
Minor a Republican candidate for the Illinois state legislature, has been urged to drop out of the race in the wake of the allegations.
The discussion between the two reportedly took place in October 2017, the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Harold, a former Miss America, was at a meeting with various people in DuPage County to introduce herself and get advice about how to campaign within the county. Minor served then as the Winfield Township Republican Chairman.
Recounting the incident, Harold said: “We had a meeting with Burt Minor, and during the course of the conversation he asked me if I had children. I said no. He asked me if I was married. I said no. He then asked me if I had ever been married. I said no. He then asked: ‘Well then are you a lesbo?’”
Harold said she told him no – “But then I also made it clear that someone’s sexual orientation should not be used to disqualify them for running for office,” Harold said. Harold said Minor seemed “surprised” that she was standing up for herself. Within the same conversation, Minor also asked Harold whether it was ever appropriate to use the n-word, “but he said the full word,” she said.
Burt Minor and Erika Harold at a campaign event in 2017. He denies being a mysogenist or racist
Minor allegedly has admitted to this exchange in a meeting with Illinois Republican House floor leader Peter Breen. In a public letter written to people Minor has listed as his endorsers, Breen called for Minor to drop out of the race and for his endorsements to be reconsidered.
At an in-person meeting that Mr. Minor requested with me, with a witness present, Mr. Minor confirmed that he had asked Ms. Harold if she was a lesbian and that he had used the full n-word in her and her assistant’s presence. He explained this away by claiming that Ms. Harold “wanted him to ask the question” about her sexual orientation and claiming that Ms. Harold asked him to say the full n-word.
Suffice it to say, this is not how the other participants to the meeting heard or understood the statements, nor how they reported those statements to others both immediately after the meeting occurred and consistently in the months since. While this conduct is not appropriate for anyone in our Party, it is especially outrageous for a declared Republican candidate for Illinois General Assembly.
In his letter, Breen alleged that Minor had “fabricated a not insubstantial number of [his] endorsements” and lamented that his party lacked the authority force the candidate out of the race, calling on those legitimate endorsements to be rescinded.
Since Mr. Minor’s actions came to light, many in our Party have urged Mr. Minor to withdraw his candidacy for state representative. However, he has continually refused to do so.
We appear to have no means to have Mr. Minor thrown off the ballot.
If you did give Mr. Minor permission to use your name as an endorser on his solicitations, then I would respectfully request that you withdraw your endorsement, because he is not fit to serve as a Republican nominee for the General Assembly.
Fighting back in a recent interview, the embattled House aspirant, adamantly denied using the word “lesbo” or the racial slur: “Absolutely not. No, no. I talked with Erika last night, in fact. We’re friends, we support and respect each other”.
“There was never any inappropriate [conversation]. That word never came out of my mouth and it wouldn’t.”
I wish it were different, but it is a reality those of us active in the Republican Party’s leadership confront, not infrequently, ” Minor adds.
Minor believes the situation has blown out of proportion by his political opponents.
“Peter Breen and Kevin Fitzpatrick, who are attempting to capitalize on this misunderstanding for the benefit of one of my opponents, tried to bribe me months ago with the offer of a government job if I were to get out of this race. They told me that they wanted another candidate to win because Peter Breen would be able to control her. When I declined the offer, they said they would support my daughter if she were ever to run for higher office. This morning, when Peter sent his letter to the media he attempted to follow through on a promise to destroy my reputation.” Minor countered through his prepared statement.
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