BREAKING: John Lee “Says He’s ‘Not Worried About Black People’ In His Bid For Congress”

HuffPost : "Beyond being offensive, Lee's remarks about not being concerned about Black people can't be helpful electorally, either."

John Lee took the opportunity at a campaign meet-and-greet last Monday to mock Rep. Steven Horsford for his position as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, according to audio exposed in new reporting tonight from HuffPost.

Lee's words speak for themselves:

"'They made [Horsford] chair of the Black Caucus. Whoop-de-doo,' Lee said last Monday"

"I'm from North Las Vegas. I'm not worried about Black people. You know?"

"They're the most racist people in the world."

The new audio exposes a pattern of Lee deriding Black lawmakers. HuffPost adds:

"The Nevada Republican has made other offensive comments about the Congressional Black Caucus. He called the group 'stupid' in November, and in August he compared it to having 'a blond-haired caucus.'"

DCCC Spokesperson Lauryn Fanguen:
"John Lee's shocking comments about Black Nevadans and CBC Chair Steven Horsford are not only deeply offensive, but betray an utter disdain for a large swath of the district he claims to want to represent. His racist statements are insulting and disqualifying."

HuffPost: Nevada GOP Candidate Says He's 'Not Worried About Black People' In His Bid For Congress
Jennifer Bendery | September 30, 2024

• Republican congressional candidate John Lee said in a new audio obtained by HuffPost that he's "not worried about Black people" and mocked his Democratic opponent in Nevada, Rep. Steven Horsford, for being chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

• "They made him chair of the Black Caucus. Whoop-de-doo," Lee said last Monday at a campaign meet-and-greet. "I'm from North Las Vegas. I'm not worried about Black people. You know?"

• Lee, who is white, went on to attack the Congressional Black Caucus for only having Democratic members. The caucus is officially nonpartisan but has only had a handful of GOP lawmakers as members since it formed in 1971. It currently has 60 members, all of whom are Democrats, and it does not include five Black Republicans, Lee said.

• "So they're the most racist people in the world," the GOP congressional hopeful said. "They have one objective, and that is for self-domination in Congress."

• Here's a link to the full audio of Lee's remarks. His comments about Black people and the Congressional Black Caucus begin around the 8-minute mark.

• Beyond being offensive, Lee's remarks about not being concerned about Black people can't be helpful electorally, either. He's running for a seat in Nevada's 4th Congressional District, which is 15% Black.

• HuffPost attempted to contact Lee for comment. Weirdly, Lee, the former mayor of North Las Vegas and a former state legislator, does not provide any contact information on his campaign site, and a Google search yielded no information about a campaign manager or any other point of contact. HuffPost left messages for Lee via social media and with the treasurer listed on his Federal Election Commission form when he filed to run in this race.

• The Nevada Republican has made other offensive comments about the Congressional Black Caucus. He called the group "stupid" in November, and in August he compared it to having "a blond-haired caucus."

• The Cook Political Report rates this seat, which Horsford has held since 2019, as "likely Democrat." Polling aggregator FiveThirtyEight only lists one poll on this race, and it shows Horsford leading Lee by 10 percentage points.