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John Fitzgerald, a Republican candidate vying to represent Danville and Alamo in Congress, has received national attention in recent days after reports by the New York Times and other news agencies detailed his history as a Holocaust denier.
Fitzgerald, who finished a comfortable but distant second place in the June primary despite being denounced by the California Republican Party, is set to appear on the general election ballot against incumbent U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) for the 11th Congressional District.
Something that Fitzgerald left off his campaign platform during the primary election was his adamant denial of the Holocaust as well as his anti-Semitic sentiments — revelations that have now taken center stage for the candidate.
“Although the reporter was somewhat fair and above board, she purposely neglected to allow approximately 90% of my interview/comments to be on record,” Fitzgerald said of the New York Times article on his Facebook page Saturday. “I now have (received) in excess of 400 people threatening to destroy me and my business via Twitter, Facebook and personal emails. Why? Because I tell the truth about Jewish elitists who have — in the past — and presently still are destroying innocent lives for Israel’s sake!”
Fitzgerald, a small business owner from Concord, has not responded to requests for comment Monday.
Running as the lone Republican candidate on the ballot, Fitzgerald earned 23% of the vote from 36,279 District 11 voters in the primary to finish in second place to DeSaulnier, who garnered 68% of the vote. Fitzgerald defeated Democrat transportation manager Dennis Lytton (5.5%) and Chris Wood (3%), who listed no party preference.
DeSaulnier and Fitzgerald will now face off in the Nov. 6 general election.
After automatically endorsing Fitzgerald following his declaration of intent to run, the California Republican Party in late May rescinded its support. In fact, state GOP chairman Jim Brulte released a statement actively condemning Fitzgerald’s candidacy.
“Those views have no home in the Republican Party. As always, California Republicans reject anti-Semitism, and all forms of religious bigotry, in the harshest terms possible. We reject John Fitzgerald’s campaign and encourage all voters to do the same,” Brulte wrote.
In recent weeks, Fitzgerald has been making an increasing number of posts on his campaign website discussing topics on “Jewish supremacy,” “anti-whiteness” in America and the decline of civility in society.
Fitzgerald appeared on a radio show last week to promote his campaign and attempt to discredit the stories of the 6 million Jews killed in Nazi concentration camps, as well as the survivors who lived through Holocaust.
“Jewish supremacists and elitists have covered up a vast amount of historical data … Everything we’ve been told about the Holocaust is a lie,” Fitzgerald said last week on a radio show hosted by adamant Holocaust denier and credited anti-Semite Andrew Carrington Hitchcock. “My entire campaign for the most part is about exposing this lie.”
On his Facebook page, Fitzgerald confirmed that he is a Holocaust denier but maintains that he is not an anti-Semite — while adding in the same breath that he has received a “thousand” negative social media messages, the majority from people that “have Jewish names associated with them.”
The national Republican Jewish Coalition has been among the organizations to speak out against Fitzgerald’s campaign.
“We absolutely and unequivocally condemn John Fitzgerald and his campaign for Congress. His anti-Semitic views have no place in our political system,” executive director Matt Brooks said.
What a hateful person. I have always wondered why anti semites deny the holocaust. How do they reconcile all of the news footage? Bodies piled on top on one another? Accounts from survivors? Just the way this guys speaks, he can deny he is anti semitic all he wants, but it’s clear. And why deny the holocaust? Shouldn’t he be elated all those jews were killed? Anti semites are some of the dumbest people to walk the planet. What a bitter man.
Most of the authorized Holocaust narrative is false (including fake or coerced testimony and other “evidence.” Bold speakers like Fitzgerald are sorely needed in the US today to free us from the yoke of guilt Israel has kept us under these 70 years now.
No hate – just the desire to be free and to know and say the truth.
Unfortunately, Fitzgerald isn’t the only Republican running for a state or national office who espouses hate with their politics.
In North Carolina, Russell Walker, a white supremacist, is running for the state House of Representatives.
In Illinois, Arthur Jones, a candidate for the state’s 3rd Congressional district, boasts of his membership in the American Nazi Party and is another Holocaust denier.
In Virginia, Corey Stewart, an alt-right neo-Confederate, was the Senate primary winner for the Republican Party.
Paul Nehlen, who is running to replace Speaker Paul Ryan in Wisconsin, is a self-described “pro-White Christian American” candidate.
and hate crimes continue to rise . . .
https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Hate-crimes-on-the-upswing-in-California-13061474.php
…..yeah no.
Problem with today’s politics is in nature’s desire to preserve balance we have the extreme loonies on both ends of the spectrum running – they attract each other.
Give me any socially liberal fiscal conservative or any fiscal conservative social liberal and I’ll likely support them.
PP, amen to that.
False or coerced testimony? evidence in scare quotes? What in the world are you talking about? There are reams and reams of photographic and first-hand testimony evidence of the horrors of the Holocaust, memorialized in museums throughout the world.
It is terrifying that we could have holocaust deniers within our own, presumably educated, communities. Unwillingness to learn from the past and be warned by the actions of previous fascist regimes puts us all at risk of allowing our own civil liberties to be taken for granted and eroded.
@PleasantonParent
“Give me any socially liberal fiscal conservative or any fiscal conservative social liberal and I’ll likely support them.”
Social liberalism and fiscal conservatism do not go hand in hand. If a candidate is socially liberal, that means they will rely heavily on government funding for whatever programs need to be in place to maintain a socially liberal society. Socially liberal=big bucks government spending.
Resident,
I understand your association, and may be a matter of semantics, but I think you’re assuming socially liberal = Socialist. My statement around socially liberal is around personal choice (pro-choice, same sex marriage, environmental protections/regulations, global human rights support, open space protections, etc).
@PP
I understand what you are saying, I’m not equating socially liberal with socialism. A couple of prgrams you mentioned above, such as regulations, etc, these are run by the gov’t, and they are BIG business and cash cows. Taxpayer dollars with little to no oversite. We as a people, would be ready to boot EVERYONE if people were wise to how much gov’t waste there is, double dipping, redundant offices and programs, etc. there is a smart way to do all the things you list above but unfortunately our gov’t isn’t smart about it. Everytime I see a new ballot initiative, I almost always vote ‘no’, because all it means is higher taxes.
Bottom line, this guy is dangerous. I believe in free speech. At the same time, this guy scares me. His language is right out of the anti semitic playbook.
Edited for typos!
Got it – I do separate policy from execution, but understand and agree with your historic reference.
Agreed on the individual – even correcting for today’s overly sensitive cultural tip toe environment, this guy’s views have no place in steering policy.