Former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke announced Friday that he is running for Senate in the state of Louisiana. A Holocaust denier and white nationalist, Duke served one term as a state representative of a New Orleans suburb over 20 years ago; he was unsuccessful in beating Democrat Edwin Edwards in a gubernatorial race in 1991:
In his 1991 campaign for governor against Edwin W. Edwards, Mr. Duke largely avoided explicitly racial campaigning, appealed to the frustrations and resentments of white voters and won more than 60 percent of the white vote while losing in a runoff election. Two decades later, much of his campaign has merged with the political mainstream [in Louisiana], and rather than a bad memory from the past, Mr. Duke remains a window into some of the murkier currents in the state's politics ... [The New York Times]
In his announcement Friday, Duke said, "I believe in equal rights for all … However, what makes me different is I also demand respect for the rights and the heritage of European-Americans." He added, "I'm overjoyed to see Donald Trump and most Americans embrace most of the issues that I've championed for years. My slogan remains America First."
More than 20 candidates are vying to replace retiring Louisiana Sen. David Vitter (R); in June, the highest-polling Democrat in the state, Foster Campbell, only pulled 9.2 percent support.
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