#barbara phifer

Help Barbara Phifer beat Denny Hoskins in Missouri

Christopher Wiggins at The Advocate:

In Missouri, the race for secretary of state has become a highly charged ideological showdown, marked by personal attacks and divisive rhetoric. At the heart of this conflict is Democratic state Rep. Barbara Phifer, who has responded forcefully to a recent attack on her transgender grandchild by Republican candidate Valentina Gomez.

Gomez, a 25-year-old real estate investor, has gained notoriety for her aggressive stance against LGBTQ+ rights. Her campaign, characterized by incendiary remarks and controversial actions, has appealed to right-wing extremists with messages starkly contrasting with Phifer’s inclusive vision. Phifer is a Democratic candidate for secretary of state. The tension escalated when Gomez launched a personal attack on Phifer via social media in June, accusing her of raising a “groomer” and suggesting she belongs in a nursing home. “You have a trans grandchild,” Gomez wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “That means you raised a groomer. You failed your children, and they failed your grandchildren. Also, you’re irrelevant and belong in a nursing home.” Her attack followed Phifer’s condemnation of Gomez’s campaign tactics, which include a video of Gomez burning LGBTQ-themed books with a flamethrower and another in which Gomez urged voters not to be “weak and gay.”

[...] Phifer, who has served in office since 2021 and brings over 40 years of experience as a United Methodist Church pastor, addressed these attacks in an interview with The Advocate. “It’s concerning any time a person attacks a child. Attacks on children have no place anywhere on anything,” Phifer said, highlighting the moral and ethical implications of Gomez’s rhetoric. Phifer, who has lived and worked in the St. Louis area for 34 years, emphasized her role as a parent and grandparent. “First and foremost, I am a parent and a grandparent, and that’s going to be my primary responsibility in life,” she said. Phifer also highlighted the broader issues at play, criticizing her opponent’s lack of substantive ideas. “When you don’t have anything to give, nothing to add to a conversation, you just start throwing verbal bombs,” she remarked.

Missouri State Rep. and Secretary of State candidate Barbara Phifer (D) posted on X that she supports her trans grandchild.