A Republican candidate running for a seat in the Oklahoma state house once said it was “perfectly fair” to kill gay people in comments that resurfaced during his campaign.
Scott Esk is running for Oklahoma’s 87th house district, which includes portions of Oklahoma City. He will face fellow Republican Gloria Banister in a runoff on Tuesday, but his campaign has come under scrutiny in recent days over resurfaced comments that began nearly a decade earlier. The comments resurfaced in a Facebook comments thread last year, as many in the LGBTQ community warned of a rise in homophobic rhetoric in politics.
In 2013, when Esk was running in another race, the candidate commented on an article about the Pope and asked, “Who should I judge?” about gays. According to MSNBC, Esk responded with Bible verses condemning homosexuality and prompted another user to ask if he believed “we should execute homosexuals (presumably by stoning)”.
“I think we would have every right to do that,” he said, according to MSNBC. “It goes against some parts of libertarianism, I realize that, and I’m largely libertarian, but as a nation, ignoring things worth dying for is very lax.”
Local news outlet TheMooreDaily.com also pressed him for the comments, to which he replied that killing gay people in the Bible’s Old Testament was “perfectly just”.
“What I’m going to tell you now is that in the Old Testament this happened under a law that came directly from God. And at that time it was absolutely righteous – it came straight from God. I have no plans to reinstate that in Oklahoma. I have very serious moral concerns about these types of sins, and I think that this type of sin will do nothing for our country and certainly does nothing to sustain the family,” he said .
He responded to criticism in a YouTube video on July 15 when a local news station reported on his old comments. In the video, he asked if “opinion against homosexuality” made him a “homophobe.” However, he added that he believes it “just makes me a Christian.”
In the video, he said he was “not in favor of extending the death penalty for homosexuality” but still denounced what he saw as “obscene things gay people do”.
Newsweek has contacted the Esk campaign for comment. In comments to The Oklahoman, Esk dismissed previous coverage of his comments as a “hit piece”.
Renewed Anti-Gay Rhetoric
Esk isn’t the only prominent conservative figure in the United States to have pushed anti-gay and sometimes violent rhetoric in recent months.
Pastor Mark Burns, who ran and lost in a main fight for a seat in the South Carolina House, also called for gay men to be executed. He said parents and teachers who speak to children about the LGBTQ community should be found guilty of “treason.”
“We have to hold people for treason; begin some public hearings and begin executing people found guilty of their treasonous acts against the Constitution of the United States of America. Just like they did in 1776,” he said.
Who serves a 6 year term?
Senators are elected for six-year terms, and every two years members of a class—about a third of the senators—are elected or re-elected.
Which branch of government has a 6-year term? Congress. Congress consists of two parts: Senate – There are two elected senators per state, for a total of 100 senators. A Senate term lasts six years, and there is no limit to the number of terms a person can serve.
Why does the Senate serve 6 year terms?
On June 26, delegates voted 7-4 to reach a compromise, passing a six-year term for the Senate. In Federalist No. 62, James Madison defended six-year terms for senators, insisting that six-year terms would have a stabilizing effect on the new national government.
Why were senators 6 years terms quizlet?
The constitution’s drafters hoped that the smaller Senate would be a more accountable body than the House of Representatives. They bolstered that hope by giving senators longer terms than lawmakers. The term of office of a representative is only two years. A senator’s six-year term is three times as long.
When did Senate terms become 6 years?
The amendment was proposed by the 62nd Congress in 1912 and became part of the Constitution on April 8, 1913, after ratification by three-fourths (36) of the state legislatures.
Why does the Senate have longer terms than the House?
Senators represent the entirety of their state, a far larger number of people than members of the House of Representatives. A 6-year term gives them more time to work for the people they represent.
Are all senators elected every 6 years Why or why not?
Senators are elected for six-year terms, and every two years members of a class—about a third of the senators—are elected or re-elected.
Who is the oldest senator?
At 89, Feinstein is the oldest sitting US Senator. On March 28, 2021, Feinstein became the longest-serving US Senator from California, overtaking Hiram Johnson.
How old are federal senators? The Constitution establishes three qualifications for service in the US Senate: age (at least thirty years of age); US citizenship (at least nine years); and reside in the state a Senator is representing at the time of election.
Who is the youngest US senator?
Jon Ossoff (D-GA) is the youngest incumbent senator at 35, replacing Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, who was the youngest senator at the 116th Congress at 41. Ossoff is the youngest person elected to the US Senate since Don Nickles in 1980.
Who was the first woman in the U.S. Senate?
Rebecca Felton of Georgia was appointed to fill a vacancy on October 3, 1922 and was sworn in on November 21, 1922, becoming the first woman to serve in the United States Senate.
Who is currently the oldest member of the House of Representatives?
The oldest Senator in the 117th Congress is Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), born June 22, 1933, who was 87 years old.
Who is the oldest currently serving US senator?
At 89, Feinstein is the oldest sitting US Senator. In March 2021, Feinstein became the longest-serving US Senator from California, overtaking Hiram Johnson. After Don Young’s death, she became the senior serving member of Congress.
Who is the youngest member of the House of Representatives currently?
At 27, Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) is the youngest member of the 117th Congress. He replaced Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), the youngest woman ever elected to Congress and the youngest of the 116th Congress. Cawthorn is the youngest person elected to the US Congress since Jed Johnson Jr.
How old are representatives in the House of Representatives?
Representatives must be 25 years old and a US citizen for at least 7 years. Representatives serve a 2-year term.
Who is the oldest living former member of Congress?
With the death of James D. Martin on October 30, 2017, Wolff became the oldest living former member of Congress. In January 2019 he turned 100 years old. He was active on Twitter and continued to write until his death.
Who is the most tenured current member of the U.S. Senate?
| Current rank | historical rank | senator |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1692 | Patrick Leahy |
| 2 | 1743 | Chuck Grassley |
| 3 | 1766 | Mitch McConnell |
| 4 | 1775 | Richard Shelby |
What cities are in district 5 in Oklahoma?
The district’s capitals include Oklahoma City (the state capital), Edmond, Shawnee, and Seminole.
What County is Frank Lucas in?
What district is Tulsa OK in?
| Oklahoma’s 1st congressional district | |
|---|---|
| Representative | Kevin Hern RâTulsa |
| distribution | 89.63% urban 10.37% rural |
| Population (2019) | 809,500 |
| Median household income | $59,660 |
How many districts are in Oklahoma?
As of the 2010 census, there are five United States congressional districts in Oklahoma. It was one of the states that was able to maintain the same number of congressional districts as the previous census (in the past, Oklahoma had as many as nine seats in the House of Representatives).
How many districts are in Tulsa OK?
Based on the latest data from the ten-year federal census, the commission is tasked with adjusting the boundaries of the city’s nine boroughs to try to balance their populations.
How many districts are in Oklahoma?
As of the 2010 census, there are five United States congressional districts in Oklahoma. It was one of the states that was able to maintain the same number of congressional districts as the previous census (in the past, Oklahoma had as many as nine seats in the House of Representatives).
How many representatives are in Oklahoma?
The Oklahoma House of Representatives consists of 101 members and is the larger chamber of Oklahoma’s bicameral legislature. All members are elected simultaneously for two-year terms, resulting in a close bond between the representatives and the citizens of Oklahoma.
What congressional district is Choctaw Oklahoma?
Oklahoma’s second congressional district – Wikipedia.
Who is the state representative for Choctaw Oklahoma?
Click here to view the member’s District 19 interactive map. PERSONAL: Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2017 for District 19, which includes Atoka, Bryan, Choctaw and Pushmataha counties.
How many representatives are in Oklahoma?
The Oklahoma House of Representatives consists of 101 members and is the larger chamber of Oklahoma’s bicameral legislature. All members are elected simultaneously for two-year terms, resulting in a close bond between the representatives and the citizens of Oklahoma.
