Tensions rose during a bipartisan forum this week after an audience question about discrimination reportedly led an Idaho state senator to angrily tell a Native American candidate to "go back to where you came from." Republican Sen. Dan Foreman left the event early after the outburst and later denied making any racist comments in a Facebook post. He didn't respond to a voice message from the AP seeking comment. Trish Carter-Goodheart, a Democratic candidate for the House District 6 seat and member of the Nez Perce Tribe, said the blowup left her shaken and thinking about security needs for future public events. It also forced some tough conversations with her two young children who were in attendance.
"They've never seen a grown adult man have a meltdown like that. They were scared. I was scared," Carter-Goodheart said Friday. The event was held by Democratic and Republican precinct committee members from the small Idaho town of Kendrick on Monday night, per the Lewiston Tribune. It was for House and Senate candidates from the local district, including Foreman; his Democratic opponent, Julia Parker: Republican Rep. Lori McCann; and her Democratic opponent, Carter-Goodheart. About an hour into the event, someone asked a question about a state bill addressing discrimination. The candidates were each given two minutes to answer, and when it was Carter-Goodheart's turn, she pushed back on earlier comments that suggested discrimination isn't a major issue in Idaho.
She said state hate crime laws are weak and noted that the neo-Nazi group Aryan Nations made northern Idaho its home base for many years. She also talked about being the only candidate there who was a person of color. "I pointed out that just because someone hasn't personally experienced discrimination doesn't mean it's not happening," she said. "I was making my statement, and then he shot up out of his seat and said, 'I'm so sick of your liberal [expletive]. Why don't you go back to where you came from?'" The Nez Perce Tribe has lived on the Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest for more than 11,500 years, including the area where Kendrick is located. McCann said Carter-Goodheart's description of the incident matched her own recollection. "Her statement is accurate," McCann told the Tribune. "[She] leaned over to me and said, 'Where am I supposed to go?'" More here.
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