[usatoday.com]

Kansas Republican vows to send 'lesbian Indian' Democrat back 'to the reservation'
William Cummings, USA TODAY Published 2:53 p.m. ET Oct. 10, 2018 | Updated 4:46 p.m. ET Oct. 10, 2018
Ap Election 2018 House Davids A Eln Usa Ks
(Photo: Charlie Riedel, AP)

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A Kansas Republican official is under fire for a social media post in which he called a Democratic congressional candidate a "radical socialist kick boxing lesbian Indian" and predicted she would "be sent back packing to the reservation," The Kansas City Star reported.

Michael Kalny, a Republican who holds the elected position of precinct committeeman in Kansas, was referring to Sharice Davids, an openly gay Native American lawyer running to unseat Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder. Davids is an amateur mixed martial arts fighter.

Kalny sent the language in a direct Facebook message to Anne Pritchett, president of the Johnson County Democratic Women’s north chapter.

"Little Ms. Pritchett – you and your comrades stealth attack on Yoder is going to blow up in your leftist face," Kalny wrote in the Facebook message, according to a screenshot shared by Pritchett. "The REAL REPUBLICANS will remember what the scum DEMONRATS tried to do to Kavanaugh in November. Your radical socialist kick boxing lesbian Indian will be sent back packing to the reservation."

Pritchett told the Star she was "stunned" by the message. She said she thought Kalny sent it in response to comments she left on Yoder's Facebook page, which she characterized as "hostile." But the Star was unable to find any comments from Pritchett on Yoder's page from the last two weeks.

"What is this lady trying to accomplish?" Kalny asked when contacted about the message by the Star in a phone call. He then told the paper that he had to speak to an attorney and hung up.

Davids' office confirmed that the candidate had seen Kalny's Facebook message.

"This message doesn’t represent Kansas values, and it doesn’t represent the values of the Republicans we know, many who support this campaign," Davids said in a statement.

Kalny and Pritchett did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.

C.J. Grover, a spokesman for Yoder said, "Kevin doesn't believe this type of rhetoric is appropriate at all. It's unacceptable."

"These kind of nasty personal attacks are all too prevalent in politics these days, and it needs to stop," Grover told the Star.

The Cook Political Report currently lists the race between Davids as Yoder as "lean Democrat." A Davids victory would make her the first openly gay representative out of Kansas and the first female Native American member of Congress, the Star reported.