Extremists & politicsExtremist candidates appear on ballots around U.S.

Published 20 July 2018

Far-right extremists – and at least one on the far left — are making their presence felt in mainstream American politics, and voters will find a record number of them on the ballot this fall. Around the country, in blue and red states alike, members of the extremist right – and their racist, anti-Semitic views – are enjoying more exposure today than at any time in recent history.

Far-right extremists – and at least one on the far left — are making their presence felt in mainstream American politics, and voters will find a record number of them on the ballot this fall. Around the country, in blue and red states alike, members of the extremist right – and their racist, anti-Semitic views – are enjoying more exposure today than at any time in recent history.

The ADL says that while extremists’ involvement in politics is not new, the country’s major political parties have historically kept fringe candidates and their ideologies at arm’s length.

Today, the GOP has publicly denounced almost all of its extremist candidates, but a significant number continue to campaign as “Republicans,” even without the blessings of, and often in the face of direct opposition by, the Republican Party.

It should also be noted that in quite a few of districts where these extremists run, the Republicans are at such an electoral disadvantage, that the extremist running for the GOP nomination was the only one running.

The following list includes candidates that have exhibited behaviors and belief systems that are normally of serious concern to ADL. The ADL notes that as a 501c-3 organization, by law, the ADL never takes sides in any election. With that in mind, the list should not be viewed as a “blacklist” of problematic candidates; it is simply a guide designed to help voters ask candidates relevant questions about their stances on issues we consider to be relevant and pressing.

All candidates except one are running as Republicans, unless otherwise noted.

Arthur “Art” Jones, Republican (U.S. Representative, Illinois-3): Former American Nazi Party head Arthur Jones is the Republican nominee for U.S. Representative for the state’s 3rd Congressional District after running unopposed in the primary. The vocal white supremacist and Holocaust denier will face incumbent Representative Dan Lipinski in the general election.