By Pilar Marrero
(Editor’s note: Seven pro-Trump California Republicans supported the decertification of the November election, and a coalition of grassroots activists of color in their respective districts wants them out.)
Grassroots activists from the districts of seven California Republican Congressional members who last month objected to the certification of the Presidential election results called for their expulsion for seeking to “erase the votes” of people of color, which they said were “the result of organizing and not fraud.”
The activists called for severe consequences for the group whom they called “the seditious seven”: Rep. Devin Nunes (R–Tulare), Rep. Jay Obernolte (R–Big Bear Lake), Rep. Ken Calvert (R–Corona), Rep. Darrell Issa (R–Bonsall), Rep. Mike Garcia (R–Santa Clarita), Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R–Richvale) and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R–Bakersfield).
“One of the common lies being told around the country in regard to fraud, especially across conservative outlets, is that they…can erase Black women, Black and people of color who make up a significant portion of the voting bloc in the state of California,” said Pablo Rodríguez, executive director of Communities for a New California, which is based in the Central Valley.
The activists said the seven might not be kicked out of Congress but added that they will work to empower more voters in the districts they represent so “we can turn them blue,” said Tina McKinnor of LA Voice Action, a grassroot interfaith group from Los Angeles.
“With their support for not certifying the election results, these representatives joined in the lies to disenfranchise voters,” said Chris Rice-Wilson, from the Alliance San Diego Mobilization Fund. “The record votes we saw in our communities wasn’t the result of fraud but of organizing efforts.”
Michael Gomez Daly, executive director of Inland Empire United, based in San Bernardino, said that he’s ashamed of his Congress member, Calvert, but pointed to other local officials who “share conspiracy theories on social media.”
“They’re openly advocating violence,” he added.
Irene Kao, executive director of Courage California, a progressive online activism network, said that even though President Trump has been impeached and suffered politically, “punishing him won’t be enough when these Congressmen still have two years in office to continue pushing the insurrection he started.”
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Pilar Marrero is an associate editor of Ethnic Media Services.
