Republicans and Democrats unite in Chicago to condemn Holocaust denier
Republican congressional candidate Arthur Jones openly denies the Holocaust took place.
By DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDSA protester holds up golf balls with a swastika as he is removed from a press conference by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Turnberry Golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, June 24, 2016. (photo credit: CARLO ALLEGRI/REUTERS)
Democrats and Republicans running in the Third Congressional District race in Chicago are united in their condemnation of a Holocaust denier, who is running as a Republican candidate.Congressional candidate Arthur Jones has made no attempts to hide his holocaust denial, stating unequivocally: "Absolutely, it's the biggest, blackest lie in history. It's an extortion racket. Six million Jews weren't killed," ABC7Chicago has reported.Jones stood unopposed in the 2018 Republican primary, before going on to pick up more than 57,000 votes in the election, ultimately losing to incumbent Dan Lipinski.Now he's back, and despite being up against two more Republicans this time, is feeling bullish. "I don't think I'll be soundly defeated at all. I think I'll absolutely overwhelm my opposition in the Republican Party and I think I've given Dan Lipinski a doggone good fight," he said.Rep. Lipinski, meanwhile, is confident of holding his seat, saying: "Art Jones' antisemitism and racism are completely unacceptable and have to be condemned, as I did last time that he ran."Lipinski was joined in his condemnation of Jones's Holocaust denial by Democrat Marie Newman, who narrowly lost out to Lipinski in 2018 and is taking another run at the seat. "I just want to be crystal clear about this, is that we must condemn Art Jones, full-throatedly. Absolutely we cannot condone his behavior," she said.The Republicans are in agreement. Embarrassed in 2018 by Jones' appearance on the ballot, because no one ran against him, they are determined not to suffer a repeat in 2020."We'll use every means available to us, social media, and our press releases, everything, to ensure that Republican voters do not vote for Arthur Jones in the primary," said Tim Schneider, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party.Illinois' Third District includes a portion of Chicago's Southwest side, in addition to parts of west and southwest suburban Cook County.
