The post Dem State Rep Says ‘Normal Guy, Normal Name’ on GOP Candidate’s Signs Is Transphobic appeared first on Breitbart.
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Wisconsin Democrats flipped out after a Republican candidate was advertised on a sign as “Normal Guy, Normal Name.”
Minnesota state Rep. David Gottfried was among the officials who issued the statement concerning Republican Mark Born’s campaign against incumbent Rep. Leigh Finke (DFL-Roseville) in House District 66A. The officials who issued it called for Born to remove the wording, while acknowledging they could not confirm that he or his campaign had put it there.
A Bluesky user reported seeing a sign bearing the words “Normal Guy, Normal Name” on Snelling Avenue in Roseville.
Gottfried posted the statement on Facebook on behalf of himself, state Sens. John Marty and Clare Oumou Verbeten, and Roseville City Council member Julie Strahan.
According to the statement, additions bearing the phrase had appeared above Born’s yard signs around the city. The officials argued that the message targeted Finke’s gender identity and surname. They wrote:
On its face, this may seem innocuous; in fact, it is a time-honored tradition to run as a “working man” in an election as an appeal to the middle class. However, when considering Born’s opponent Rep. Finke, the first openly transgender woman in the Minnesota Legislature, these seemingly simple words become openly hostile. Pitting himself as a “normal guy” against Rep. Finke is intentionally transphobic, and further, stating that his name is “normal” implies that her name is not normal. As the name Finke has roots in Jewish heritage, this toes the dangerous line of antisemitism.
The officials based their concern about antisemitism on what they described as the Jewish roots of Finke’s surname. The statement did not provide evidence that whoever created the wording intended a reference to Jewish heritage.
“Hate has no place in Roseville,” they continued. “Degradation of an elected official based on her gender or name is offensive and unacceptable.”
The group also questioned whether Born would serve all residents of the district, arguing that the message raised doubts about how he would represent people of different identities:
Rep. Finke was duly elected by her constituents and represents all of them, regardless of their identity. This new message on Mr. Born’s campaign signs raises serious concerns whether he would do the same.
Despite not knowing who added the messages to Born’s signs, the officials said he should have them removed:
While we cannot confirm that these sign toppers were placed by Mr. Born or his campaign, we ask that he direct his campaign to remove these offensive messages promptly — regardless of how they got there. Their continued presence on his campaign’s signs is an endorsement of their bigotry. The people of 66A deserve better.
In the Facebook post accompanying the statement, Gottfried praised Finke’s work in office.
“Rep. Finke is focused on the issues and has delivered for her constituents time and again, regardless of their identity,” he wrote. “That is what the people of 66A deserve.”
