Antisemitic Oklahoma GOP state Senate candidate claims endorsement from Kari Lake

According to comments posted to social media by Jarrin Jackson, a Republican running for a seat in the Oklahoma state Senate who has gained notoriety for his antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ comments, his campaign has been endorsed by Arizona Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake. In a series of tweets on Aug. 17, Jackson claimed that Lake had said, “We need fighters in EVERY state that’s why I’m proud to endorse Jarrin Jackson for Oklahoma state senate! Jarrin is an America First patriot and does so much to advance our America First movement. RINOs & the Soros media attack him relentlessly because he’s over the target. Jarrin is a winner and a fighter we need in the state senate!”

Lake herself had not shared any endorsement of Jackson herself as of Friday afternoon. Her campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Lake had endorsed Jackson.

Jackson, whose Twitter profile calls him a “Christian, family man & Army combat vet. Biz owner,” has made repeated bigoted comments about Jews and LGBTQ people.

In a post to the social media site Telegram that was highlighted by the media watchdog organization Media Matters for American, Jackson wrote, “The answer to Zionism or any other -ism is the gospel of Jesus Christ. His death, burial, & resurrection for the salvation of sin. I’m not beholden to Jews or any other group. People need to repent & believe the gospel. Hell is gonna be hot.”

He wrote in criticizing a so-called documentary on “enemies” within the Baptist Church, “Outline & detail the evil. Amen. The Jews. Illuminati. Covid shots kill. Rothschilds. Communists. Woke pastors. Social gospel. Christ will chuck a bunch of stuff in the fire.”

In addition to the antisemitism of references to conspiracy-theorist favorites such as the Jewish Rothschild banking family, Jackson has also repeatedly condemned and insulted the LGBTQ community. The Washington, D.C., Metro Weekly reported in June on comments Jackson made in a video highlighted by Right Wing Watch. Jackson said:

Pride Month is in full swing. I think it would be deliciously ironic and eternally entertaining if God comes back today, gets us up out of here, and then burns the whole place down. It would be amazing, not only because it would be just and righteous and deserving, but because everybody who celebrates this godlessness — which is very few, by the way — most people are doing it because they are coerced. They are compelled.

He added:

People find it disgusting, especially straight dudes. … Whenever they see other dudes kissing. It is gross. Being gay is gay. It is the most disgusting, despicable, stupid thing ever. Insert barf emoji. And yet, we’re supposed to celebrate this? We’re supposed to think it is normal? It ain’t normal! … These godless commies, these homosexual gay fornicating godless commies, are trying to foist upon everybody else that which is disgusting and dangerous and eternally damnable.

Jackson also repeats a blend of Christian nationalist viewpoints, racist conspiracy theories claiming white people are being targeted, and anti-immigrant sentiment in such rants as one noted by Media Matters in July:

It’s not nativism. It’s common sense. But the real issue at the core here is that — I can’t believe no one else sees this. They want to get rid of white people because of their Christianity. … What I’m saying is that if you had a culture that focused on the gospel, you wouldn’t have mass migration. …  My whole point for this: Zionism, Jews taking over the world, the Rothschilds, the Kalergi Plan, the white replacement theology or white replacement theory. I largely agree that all of those things are happening. But if I believe that their premises are true, that white people are better than other people, that we have to elevate to protect and we have to bend public policy to make sure that America stays white, we are losing what the entire premise of America is, that because God exists, he has an order. … Yeah, I guess the problem isn’t the fact that I’m white and these guys aren’t white and I don’t want them here. It’s the fact that, well, I don’t want my culture changing, but I’m not willing to actually sacrifice to fight for my culture. What I want is I want someone who’s going to elect to go to office to make sure that the borders are closed so no one comes in. It’s like a nation of liars will be well-represented. Why do we have Congress full of corrupt godless commies?

Jackson highlights endorsements on his campaign website from other far-right Arizona Republicans as well: Secretary of state nominee Mark Finchem and state Sen. Wendy Rogers, who is seeking reelection.

Jackson will participate in a primary runoff for the Oklahoma state Senate seat on Aug. 23.

Lake, who won the primary to run as the Republican nominee for governor with the endorsement of former President Donald Trump in early August, has centered her bid around the false conspiracy theory that Trump won the 2020 presidential election. Lake has vowed to imprison those involved in the administration of that election, including her Democratic opponent in the gubernatorial race, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs.

FiveThirtyEight’s polling average shows Hobbs with a 3.8-point lead over Lake.

However, Inside Elections, a nonpartisan political handicapping outlet, rates the race a toss-up.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.