Sen. Dan Foreman, a Republican state lawmaker in Idaho, stormed out of a candidate forum this week after demanding that a Native American candidate go back to where she came from, according to Boise State Public Radio.
At a bipartisan “meet your candidates” event in Kendrick, Idaho on Tuesday, Foreman denied that discrimination exist in Idaho which led to Democratic House candidate Trish Carter-Goodheart pushing back against his assertion.
“[J]ust because someone hasn’t personally experienced discrimination, doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Racism and discrimination are real issues here in Idaho, as anyone familiar with our state’s history knows,” Carter-Goodheart said in a statement.
“I highlighted our weak hate crime laws and mentioned the presence of the Aryan Nations in northern Idaho as undeniable evidence of this reality,” the statement continued.
In response, Foreman angrily dismissed her argument as “liberal bullshit” and told her to go back to where she came from.
“I’m so sick and tired of this liberal bullshit! Why don’t you go back to where you came from?!” he said before storming off the stage.
Carter-Goodheart, who is campaigning for a House seat and therefore not running against Foreman, is a member of the Nez Perce tribe. The tribe has lived in the Columbia River Basin for generations, Boise State Public Radio noted.
“I am a proud member of the Nez Perce tribe fighting to represent the land my people has lived on for generations,” Carter-Goodheart said in her statement. “People like Dan Foreman do not represent our diverse community and I will continue to stand against the hatred and racism they spread. Our state deserves better. Our community deserves better. We deserve better.”
