The Libertarian Party of Mississippi has denounced Erik Kiehle, the Libertarian nominee for the state’s 3rd Congressional District, after recent social media remarks prompted the state party to distance itself from his campaign.
Kiehle is running for the U.S. House seat currently held by Republican Rep. Michael Guest. He was the only Libertarian candidate to file for the 3rd District during the qualifying period, meaning he is set to appear as the party’s nominee in November unless he chooses to withdraw from the race.
In a statement published May 24, the state party said comments made by Kiehle online do not represent the Libertarian Party of Mississippi, its members, or its values. It also referred to them as “incendiary” and an example of “authoritarianism.”
“The Libertarian Party stands for the maximum liberty of every peaceful individual,” it stated. “Any candidate who advocates government coercion against peaceful people based on their identity or who praises authoritarian ideologies has no business running under the banner of liberty.”
The party also said Mississippi law does not allow state parties to choose their nominees directly, referencing the state’s primary system. Under that process, Kiehle, who filed as the sole Libertarian candidate, advanced without intra-party opposition.
While the party did not identify the specific remarks it was responding to, its statement followed public criticism from Libertarians over comments Kiehle has made online. That included Fakertarians, a member-run watchdog project that typically criticizes individuals and factions it views as authoritarian, bigoted, nationalist, or part of the alt-right.
In a post calling out Kiehle to the state party, the group pointed to an earlier Mississippi Free Press questionnaire he completed, which the publication said included “inflammatory views about trans people, Somalis, and Islam.” It also shared a screenshot in which Kiehle’s campaign account said “Hitler and the Nazis were patriots who wanted to make Germany better for Germans.”
Kiehle has since responded to the Libertarian Party of Mississippi’s statement on Facebook, arguing in a response to another user that screenshots of his remarks had been taken out of context with the intent to “generate drama.” He said one image was cropped and that another came from a private Facebook group discussion where he had objected to the use of “Nazi” as a slur against other Libertarian Party members and delegates.
“My comment was not made in the open, on a public page, to in any way suggest I support or condemn a political party that ceased to exist 80 years ago,” Kiehle wrote. He added that it was instead “meant as a way to open discussion as to why ‘Nazi’ is a lazy slur used by low-IQ individuals when they can’t articulate coherent arguments.”
Kiehle also stood by the substance of his statement about German soldiers, writing that “those Germans who fought on behalf of their nation were patriots to their country.” He compared that to the way other nations honor their own veterans.
Regardless of the party’s denunciation, Kiehle is still expected to appear on the November ballot, where he will face Guest and Democrat Michael Chiaradio.
Thank You for posting my responses in your article.
Journalism that allows all viewpoints to be expressed has become too rare.