Rep. Will Hurd, one of the last remaining pseudo-moderates in a Congress filled with Trump allies, is retiring, and a more extreme Republican has stepped up in recent weeks seeking to fill Hurd’s seat.
A devoted Trump fan and owner of Texas Gun Shows, Darwin Boedeker seems to be aligned with the InfoWars wing of the Republican Party. Recently, he suggested “20,000 Texans [grab] our AR-15 and AK-47 and go show Mexico the importance of a well armed militia!!!”
In 2010, Boedeker appeared on Alex Jones’ Infowars radio show to accuse the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms of conspiring against him because the agency asked him to abide by some basic regulations at his gun show, like not selling guns in the parking lot of the venue.
Unsurprisingly, Boedeker opposes responsible gun safety measures, like red flag laws and universal background checks, and supports the border wall.
Still, the newly minted candidate received a warm reception by the Republican Party of Texas’ chief James Dickey in a photo posted on Dec. 9.
On social media, Boedeker has liked comments claiming transgender people are victims of mental illness.
One challenge the zealous gun advocate may have is not living in the district he’s hoping to represent, according to Conservatives in Action.
Boedeker has also been unable, so far, to raise any real money, something any Republican seeking their party’s nomination for the 23rd congressional seat will need to do. Should she win the Democratic nomination, Iraq War veteran Gina Ortiz Jones will be a fundraising powerhouse.
This story has been updated.
Photo: Darwin Boedeker for Congress/Facebook
