WASHINGTON — According to a report released by the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights (IREHR), 872 Republican state legislators, including 39 Pennsylvania Republican state legislators, are members of far-right Facebook groups. Today’s Republican lawmakers belong to groups promoting conspiracy theories, disinformation, and bigotry – and later turn the hate they see online into policies that threaten our most fundamental liberties.
“Extremism and alt-right views are no longer a fringe of the GOP — instead, radical views are rapidly becoming the norm of the Republican Party,” said DLCC President Jessica Post. “Hate and division have become the GOP’s guiding light — and it has dangerous consequences for the future of our country. Electorally, the only way to challenge deadly extremism, protect our basic freedoms, and protect our democracy is to elect Democrats to statehouses this fall.”
Read the IREHR report here.
On the heels of the racist attack in Buffalo, it is crystal clear that far-right radicalization is a threat to the health and safety of our country. Extremism has become a core tenet of the Republican Party, and it represents a threat to voting access, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive freedom, and the very safety of people of color in America.
Pennsylvania House Republicans in Far-Right Facebook Groups:
- Rep. Aaron Bernstine (HD-10)
- Rep. Barbara Gleim (HD-199)
- Rep. Bud Cook (HD-49)
- Rep. Carrie DelRosso (HD-33), GOP nominee for lieutenant governor
- Rep. Clint Owlett (HD-68)
- Rep. Craig Staats (HD-145)
- Rep. Craig Williams (HD-160)
- Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (HD-12)
- Rep. David Zimmerman (HD-99)
- Rep. Donna Oberlander (HD-63)
- Rep. Eric Davanzo (HD-58)
- Rep. Eric Nelson (HD-57)
- Rep. F. Todd Polinchock (HD-144)
- Rep. Greg Rothman (HD-87)
- Rep. Jack Rader (HD-176)
- Rep. Jason Ortitay (HD-46)
- Rep. Jim Cox (HD-129)
- Rep. Jonathan Fritz (HD-111)
- Rep. Joshua Kail (HD-15)
- Rep. Matthew Dowling (HD-51)
- Rep. Michael Puskaric (HD-39)
- Rep. Natalie Mihalek (HD-40)
- Rep. Russell Diamond (HD-102)
- Rep. Ryan Warner (HD-52)
- Rep. Stephanie Borowicz (HD-76)
- Rep. Timothy Hennessey (HD-26)
- Rep. Timothy O’Neal (HD-48)
- Rep. Torren Ecker (HD-193)
- Rep. Tracy Pennycuick (HD-147)
- Rep. Valerie Gaydos (HD-44)
- Rep. Wendi Thomas (HD-178)
- Rep. Zachary Mako (HD-183)
Pennsylvania Senate Republicans in Far-Right Facebook Groups:
- Sen. Camera Bartolotta (SD-46)
- Sen. Cris Dush (SD-25)
- Sen. David Argall (SD-29)
- Sen. Doug Mastriano (SD-33), GOP nominee for governor
- Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (SD-28)
- Sen. Mario Scavello (SD-40)
- Sen. Wayne Langerholc (SD-35)
###
