Kim Zito, a Manhattan Democrat, says Republicans are complaining about her four-year-old social media post to draw attention away from her opponent, who lied about being a Kansas State University graduate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)
TOPEKA — Kansas Republicans lambasted a Manhattan-area Democratic candidate who used a racial slur in a 2020 Facebook post that detailed the candidate’s feelings about an outburst she witnessed.
Kim Zito, a Democrat running for House District 67, posted to Facebook, “F**K YOU N*****S!!!!” preceded by a middle finger emoji on Nov. 9, 2020. The post continues, “I write that because I want you to see that. That’s what we heard yday (sic) while we were cheering for our new President and our first female VP.”
Nov. 9, 2020, Facebook post from Kim Zito:
“(middle finger emoji) F**K YOU N*****S!!!!
I write that because I want you to see that.
That’s what we heard yday while we were cheering for our new President and our first female VP.
I held a new friend in my arms yesterday as she cried. ‘Why do they hate us so much? What did I ever do to them? I don’t understand!’
That is the level of hate being hurled at people of color and anyone supporting the end of the 45th regime.
Have you ever been bullied? No? Good for you.
Have you ever watched your child get bullied? No? Good for you.
Have you ever watched your friend get bullied? No? Good for you.
Are you capable of empathizing with anyone who’s been a victim of bullying or violence?
Silence = Compliance
How can I get through to you? How can I get you to understand that when you don’t stand up against the violence of fellow human beings, you become a part of the problem?
Do you understand HOW MUCH IT HURTS to witness you, my family and friends, not stand up?
Do you understand HOW MUCH IT HURTS to witness you, my family and friends, prioritize your comfort over your family’s and friends’ suffering?
How can I get you to hear our pleas?”
Republicans called on Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to rescind her endorsement of Zito in a Wednesday news release, and called the post a “shocking and racially charged rant.”
Zito said in a statement Republicans were attempting to distract voters from concerns with her opponent, Angel Roeser.
In the 2020 post, which has been deleted, Zito explained she was illustrating the “level of hate being hurled at people of color and anyone supporting the end of the” Trump administration. She pleaded with friends and family to “stand up against the violence of fellow human beings.”
The Kansas Black Republican Council brought the post to the attention of the Kansas House Republican Campaign Committee on Tuesday, according to the news release. Joseph Elmore, chairman of the Sedgwick County Black Republican Council and member of the state council’s executive board, called on Democrats to “unequivocally disavow and divest themselves.”
“Exposure of Kim Zito’s racism is painful to see and, in my view, disqualifies her for service as a lawmaker,” Elmore said in the news release. “Racist words and racial slurs are hurtful and hateful to our Community.”
House Majority Leader Chris Croft, R-Overland Park, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, echoed Elmore’s condemnation.
Zito responded by accusing Roeser of being dishonest about her level of education and where she stands on abortion rights.
“The Kansas Republican Party has a fundamentally flawed candidate who has a broken relationship with the truth,” Zito said. “The Republicans are trying to distract the voters of Manhattan from the fact their candidate lies about her voting history and lies about whether she graduated from K-State, which is an insult to hard-working Kansans.”
Roeser, who doesn’t have a college degree, identified herself as a Kansas State University graduate in postcards produced by her campaign.
The first-time candidate said in a statement for this story she didn’t have “any ill intent to withhold information” about obtaining a college degree. She acknowledged it was a mistake to lie about her education.
“Kim Zito has yet to take responsibility for the offensive, insulting and downright hostile comments she has made about races of people, groups of worshipers and individuals in our community,” Roeser said. “Her partisan rhetoric and personal attacks won’t serve Manhattan well and will most definitely ensure we don’t have a seat at the table.”
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