Jeff Denham's Campaign Manager Engages in Racist Taunts of Recall Supporters

When a politician is faced with a recall effort, they typically choose one of two responses. They can emphasize their achievements in office and prove to voters they deserve to stay in office, or they can denounce the recall as a waste of time.

Not content with those two approaches, Jeff Denham has invented a third response: use racism to attack opponents. Supporters of the Denham recall in Modesto were subjected to racially motivated insults from John Franklin, Denham's campaign manager. Several eyewitness reports confirm that Franklin singled out a Latino man carrying a pro-recall sign and yelled "Don't I know you? You look like the man who does my lawn." Franklin then turned to some African American recall supporters and said "Obama yo mamma" and "who you voting for? I bet you're voting for Obama."

Denham's campaign manager opened the way for other Denham supporters to engage in racist attacks. One woman taunted a Latino supporter of the recall asking "can you even read your sign?"

Such ugly racist smears are unfortunately nothing new for the Denham campaign, which has repeatedly used racism as part of its negative election strategy. In the 2006 campaign Denham sent a mailer to voters made to look like a child’s picture book where all good people are white and the only person of color is implied to be a child abuser who is shown behind behind bars. The mailer caused an uproar as voters across Monterey County expressed their outrage at Denham's use of racist imagery.

The descent of the Denham campaign into open racism is a sad commentary on Denham's failures as a legislator. If he had a successful record in the State Senate he would not have any need to turn to racial insults to try and protect his job. Denham needs to repudiate these comments in the strongest possible terms and reject racist campaigning - and voters need to ask themselves whether someone who engages in such racist tactics is fit to continue in office.