A staffer for two Ohio lawmakers was caught on audio calling residents racist and saying the entire border should be open. Kevin Oyakawa, who works for Democrats Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Emilia Sykes as a regional organizing director, can be heard saying, "Open the f—ing border, I don't give a s— who the f— comes in here," according to Ohio.news.
"We don't need border patrol, but the issue with even talking about immigration here in Ohio is that it's a losing issue for Democrats here. For like no f—ing reason other than people's pure racism," he said.
He added that if Sykes "has to start talking about immigration, she starts losing."
In response, Sykes' campaign defended her record, highlighting her support for bipartisan measures like the Dignity Act, which aims to strengthen border security and curb the flow of illegal drugs.
Her campaign said in a statement, "Congresswoman Emilia Sykes has worked to deliver increased funding to help secure our border and stop the flow of illegal drugs like fentanyl."
Sykes' Republican opponent, Kevin Coughlin said, "Ohioans are already aware of Emilia Sykes' dangerous open border policies, and now we see what she and her team support behind closed doors." He added that Sykes calls anyone who disagrees with her "racist."
Brown's campaign also emphasized his support for border security. His campaign spokesman said Brown has "worked with both parties to secure our southern border and keep Ohioans safe from fentanyl by cracking down on the chemical suppliers in China and drug cartels in Mexico."
A spokesperson for Bernie Moreno, Brown's Republican opponent, said, "Ohio Democrats would rather keep the border open and continue to allow millions of illegals to enter our nation rather than secure the border and protect our communities."
In 2017, when Oyakawa was just 20, he ran for a local office in Illinois, where he was attending college. His name was left off the ballot because of a mistake on his petition forms. He told Ncclinked.com in February 2018, "I had to make up for my inexperience through my energy, and I put all that energy into building up the campaign and building momentum. Just to have it taken away on a technicality was really saddening."
Kate McManus ✉
Kate McManus is a New Jersey-based Newsmax writer who's spent more than two decades as a journalist.
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