Seattle, WA – On Nov 3rd, Chair Shasti Conrad released the following statement regarding WA GOP Chair Jim Walsh’s admission that his organization paid for racist, anti-LGBTQIA+, xenophobic,and sexist lies attacking Latina legislative candidates in LD14:

“Hate has no place in Washington state. Neither does misinformation or disinformation. It is shameful that Jim Walsh and his party, in their clear desperation and realizing they cannot win on policy or character, have sunk to new lows and fully embraced anti-LGBTQIA+ bigotry and racism. 

“The Spanish-language texts attacking Maria Beltran, Chelsea Dimas, and Ana Ruiz Kennedy, Democratic candidates in the 14th Legislative District, are lies. They are vicious lies. They are racist lies. They are anti-LGBTQIA+ lies. And these lies are meant to unfairly swing an election in its final hours, not with policy—but through deceit.

“Washington Democrats and our lawyers believe the WA GOP broke campaign finance and defamation laws and will be pursuing every legal remedy available to us. 

“We call upon every Republican candidate – local and statewide – to immediately and publicly denounce these pathetic attempts to trick and deceive  Spanish-speaking voters in the final hours of this race. 

“Whether it’s ‘floating islands of garbage’ or ‘they hate you, they hate your family, they hate God, and they hate the truth,’ it’s clear today’s Republican Party has fully embraced racism and bigotry to secure political power. Washington Democrats believe voters will see through the lies spewed by Republicans and continue to elect Democratic candidates who are fighting every day to improve the lives of every Washingtonian.”