Ex-NFL punter turned California Democrat sparks fury with racist banana stunt: Toxic mockery

California Democrats are facing backlash over a political mailer depicting a Latina Republican candidate as a banana sticker, with the Orange County GOP blasting the image as a racially degrading attack.The mailer, paid for by the California Democratic Party, targets Gracey Van Der Mark, a Huntington Beach City Council member and Republican candidate for California’s 72nd Assembly District.The front features a cluster of bananas with Van Der Mark’s face placed on a sticker resembling the Chiquita banana logo, alongside the message: “There’s a word for Gracey Van Der Mark’s Extreme Agenda…” The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.Please provide a valid email.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story The reverse side doubles down on the fruit-themed jab, declaring her record is “absolutely bananas.”The Republican Party of Orange County condemned the mailer as a racist attack, arguing the imagery takes on a more sinister meaning because Van Der Mark is the daughter of an Ecuadorian immigrant and also has Mexican heritage.“The Republican Party of Orange County condemns in the strongest possible terms the racially degrading mailer recently deployed by the California Democratic Party,” the party said in a statement.“By maliciously substituting the face of a female candidate with Latin American heritage (Ecuadoran and Mexican), Gracey Van Der Mark, onto the Chiquita banana logo, the Democrats have resorted to racist tropes.”“This toxic brand of identity-based mockery has no place in this campaign,” the statement continued.The OC GOP demanded Van Der Mark’s Democratic opponent, former NFL punter Chris Kluwe, speak out against the mailer and distance himself from what the party described as racial bigotry funded by his political allies.Van Der Mark, who is seeking to defend the Republican-held seat against Kluwe in ...