Ala. Republicans censure Bonner over controversial posts, won’t certify his votes

The Alabama Republican Party has officially censured Jim Bonner, a candidate for Public Service Commission, Place 1, and declared that the party will not certify votes cast for him in the June 5 primary.

The censure came on May 29, with a unanimous vote by the Alabama Republican Party Candidate Committee. The committee “strongly” condemned Bonner’s “recent comments on his social media as well as radio shows” and said they “are not condoned by the Alabama Republican Party.”

As previously reported by Southern Jewish Life, numerous Facebook posts by Bonner were viewed as anti-Semitic, racist and misogynist.
Bonner said they were jokes taken out of context as part of larger philosophical discussions on a page that he set up as a bastion of free speech.

One of the controversial posts was a Hitler valentine that said “my love 4 u burns like 6,000 jews,” which he said was in the context of a discussion of the admiration of Wehrner Von Braun in Alabama despite his having been a Nazi.

In urging Republican voters not to support Bonner, the committee said Bonner “is welcome to his opinions and his first amendment right of free speech. The Alabama Republican Party is welcome to our opinion as well, and we reject the egregious comments Mr. Bonner continues to spew.”

The committee went a step further on May 31, voting not to certify results for Bonner. “When our state party chooses to take these steps, it is a serious and rare occurrence,” the committee said in a statement. “We strongly believe that this is one of those solemn moments. This vote was carefully considered and was not taken lightly.”