At a bipartisan meet and greet in the northern Idaho town of Kendrick, things got a bit heated when the topic of race and race relations came up. Of course, the Republican candidate, Senate incumbent Dan Foreman, denied that Idaho has a problem, a big problem, with racism, discrimination, and weak hate crime laws, especially in Northern Idaho, a haven for the Aryan Nation.
When it came time for the Democratic candidate and member of the Nez Perce tribe, Trish Carter-Goodheart, to speak, she stated that just because Foreman never experienced discrimination or racism, does not mean that the ugliness and hate does not exist. Of course, Foreman cut her off, shouted over her (I win!!!), used profanity, and told her, “to go back to where she came from.” He then stormed out of the building.
“[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,” the statement read. “I highlighted our weak hate crime laws and mentioned the presence of the Aryan Nations in northern Idaho as undeniable evidence of this reality.”
Carter-Goodheart is campaigning to be a house representative and is not running against the senator. Her opponent, Republican Rep. Lori McCann was also present at the forum. In an email, she said she read Carter-Goodheart’s statement “and found it to be an accurate account of what transpired in Kendrick.”
After the event, Ms. Carter-Goodheart issued a statement:
