What to Know
- Two county Republican leaders in Delaware have been blasted for comments on Facebook
- Chris Rowe, the GOP chair in New Castle County, stepped down under fire for using a gay slur in a comment
- House Republicans also called on Sussex County Republican Party Vice-Chairwoman Nelly Jordan to step down after making comments that were derogatory to Jewish people
The chairman of the Republican party in New Castle County, Delaware is stepping down under fire for using a gay slur on Facebook.
Chris Rowe was asked to step down by Republican state GOP leaders.
"Neither I nor the Delaware Republican Party, which I represent, condone any statements that demean or show disrespect to others," said Jane Brady, chair of the Republican Party of Delaware. "I have requested Chris Rowe’s resignation and he has agreed to tender it. His comment was offensive and did not reflect the values of respect and tolerance held dear by the Delaware Republican Party."
The slur was the subject of a post on the blog Blue Delaware, which says it reports on state politics from a liberal perspective. It said Rowe made the slur in Facebook comments on a video he was trying to post, which involved the Texas church shooting.
That video had been removed by YouTube, and the blog posted a screen capture of Rowe commenting publicly on the removal, including the slur.
Rowe has refused to apologize for the comment and protested the loss of his county party role in another Facebook post Wednesday, on the Facebook page of the GOP of New Castle County. Though the post is not signed, it appears to be written by Rowe, saying he used "locker room talk" in a comment meant for a friend.
Politics
Meanwhile, another Delaware GOP official -- Sussex County Republican Party Vice-Chairwoman Nelly Jordan -- is also under fire for a Facebook post that Republican and Democratic state officials said was derogatory against Jewish people.
The leaders of Delaware's House of Representatives Republican Caucus said Wednesday that Rowe and Jordan did not speak for their party and called for both to step down.
"The inept actions of Mr. Rowe and Ms. Jordan are unacceptable and do not represent the integrity Delaware Republicans have always strived to maintain," they wrote in an open letter. "We call for both to immediately issue an apology and step down from their leadership roles. If they remain unwilling to do so, action should be taken to remove them from their posts."
