A former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard, David Duke, has expressed agreement with a Democratic congressional nominee, Darializa Avila Chevalier, on the issue of interracial marriage. Chevalier, who recently won the Democratic primary in New York’s 13th Congressional District, had made comments on social media in 2019 that were critical of certain groups of men for their perceived preferences in women.
Background
Chevalier’s comments were made in a since-deleted social media post, where she attacked ‘Black men’ and ‘Arab men’ for ‘fetishizing ugly colonizer women.’ Duke, who served as the grand wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan from 1974 to 1980, praised Chevalier’s sentiment, stating that people have the right to preserve their particular heritage.
Chevalier identifies as Afro-Latina and was part of a cohort of socialist candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who swept New York’s June Democratic primary elections. Duke’s praise for Chevalier has raised eyebrows, given his history of involvement in extremist politics and his past role as a leader in the KKK.
Reactions
Some political observers have drawn comparisons between Chevalier and Duke, with one unnamed Democrat describing Chevalier as ‘our David Duke.’ Former Republican congressman Peter Meijer noted that the modern Democratic Party would not treat Chevalier in the same way that the GOP treated Duke, who was refused endorsement by the party in the 1991 Louisiana gubernatorial election.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries congratulated Chevalier on her primary victory, despite concerns over her views. Chevalier is likely to be elected to the House of Representatives in November, given the heavily Democratic nature of New York’s 13th Congressional District.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.