Democrat Cody Thompson Should Resign

Democrat Delegate Launches Racist Attacks on Opponent

Charleston, WV- Last night, Delegate Cody Thompson (D-Randolph) took to Twitter to launch a barrage of disgusting, racist, and xenophobic attacks on Republican House candidate Elias Coop-Gonzales. Elias is an American citizen whose mother is from Guatemala. Elias and his family made the decision to live in West Virginia when Elias was 14 years old. One of the highest aims of our Republican-led legislature is to attract people and business to our great state, but Democrat Cody Thompson’s divisive rhetoric sends a different message.

“It is telling that Cody Thompson chose to begin Hispanic Heritage month by attacking a young American citizen of Hispanic descent,” WVGOP Chairwoman Elgine McArdle said in a statement. “Delegate Thompson seemingly attacks everything about Elias (even oddly highlighting his Hispanic last name in all caps, ‘GONZALES’), but he doesn’t mention any of his policy positions—this is because Delegate Thompson knows it is he who is out of touch with West Virginia values and the issues about which his constituents truly care. His racist comments about his opponent show that he is unfit to serve, and his unseemly remarks are simply beneath the dignity of the office he holds. His actions have brought dishonor and discredit to the West Virginia House of Delegates and the State of West Virginia. As the first Woman of Ethnicity to Chair one of the two major political parties in West Virginia, I find his remarks to be particularly unsettling. The West Virginia Republican Party formally calls on leaders in the Democratic Party, particularly Senator Joe Manchin and Chairman Mike Pushkin, to join us in condemning these attacks and asking Cody Thompson to withdraw from the race, lest they condone such hypocritical conduct.”