Democratic candidate for NC legislature drops out after 'Mexicans' rant resurfaces

Cathy von Hassel-Davies (Facebook/CathyforNCHouse)

A Democratic candidate for North Carolina's House of Representatives withdrew from her race Wednesday after a 12-year-old blog rant about immigrants resurfaced last week.

"After having time to reflect and talk to my family, friends and community leaders I have decided it is in the best interest of not only the constituents of House District 64, but also my family that I step aside," Cathy von Hassel-Davies said in a Facebook post.

In the April 10, 2006, blog post, she lambasted "Mexicans" and U.S. immigration policy.

"Okay what don't they understand -- they are illegals, do they not know what the word ILLEGAL means?" she wrote. "Oh you know what, they might not since the US [sic] bends over backwards to kiss their ... ass and spends how much of our tax dollars putting up signs in Spanish and American."

"Okay we live in ... America people we speak English," added the post, which also suggested that von Hassel-Davies' sons were passed over for jobs at McDonald's in favor of "Mexicans."

According to her campaign website, she was a member of the Republican Party for 30 years, but switched to the Democratic Party after Barack Obama was nominated for president in 2008. Her campaign also touted her parents' story of coming to the U.S. "by taking advantage of chain immigration."

"I believe that we are a land of immigrants and should not forget that," her campaign website says. "We should not be enacting laws that hurt our immigrants and immigration, instead we should be looking for ways to make them citizens and keeping them here as a vital part of our community."

The North Carolina Democratic Party initially declined to cut ties with the candidate after the post was made public, with spokesman Robert Howard telling The Raleigh News & Observer: "North Carolina Democrats believe in building a welcoming and inclusive state, and this candidate’s past views do not reflect the views of the party.

"Republicans must really be worried if they’re drudging up blog posts from more than a decade ago in a district Trump won by 16 points," he added.

Von Hassel-Davies posted a statement in English and Spanish on her campaign website Thursday saying her "racist rant" was "extremely thoughtless and callous."

"Over the last 12 years I have continued to grow, change and learn for the better," she said. "I truly pray that we can move forward from here and perhaps help someone else to grow and learn the same way I have.

However, state Democratic Party chairperson Wayne Goodwin said Wednesday that "following several conversations last week between Cathy and members of the Hispanic community, the Hispanic caucus and the Democratic Party, it became clear that she could not restore trust with the Hispanic community and it was best for her to step aside."

Republicans hold a supermajority in both houses of North Carolina's General Assembly, enabling to override vetoes issued by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

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