Friend,

Extreme political rhetoric is nothing new, but outright calls for violence are coming to a campaign near you. Don’t believe me? Just check out the latest ad from extremist Republican Mike Collins. Six years ago, Collins would’ve been a “fringe” candidate that the GOP tried to distance themselves from. Today, he is part and parcel of a new crop of radicals who are steering the party.

His video is in some ways typical of the far right: a campaign not of ideas, but hate and grievance. But he doesn’t just bash Democrats, he literally shoots a “RINO” representing all the Republicans who don’t share his extremist ideology. That “RINO” he’s shooting represents me. Maybe it represents you too, or someone you love.

That’s not a joke, it’s a call to violence against countless conscientious Americans who won’t bow down to the extremism infecting the GOP.

Candidates have always tried to push the envelope to garner attention. Lyndon B Johnson famously ran an ad depicting a child and a nuclear explosion to imply his opponent would cause a nuclear war. But what we are seeing is more than shock and awe, it is the mobilization of a radical and proven violent movement. 

Candidates like Collins are trying to be the political face to the militias, mobs, and insurrectionists who would violently overthrow our elections if they could. 

We need your help to stop candidates like Collins from ever holding positions of power.

While a frightening percent of GOP candidates are embracing violence and hate as a means to political power, we still have one tool that is even more powerful: Democracy. The 2022 elections will be a defining moment for America. Will we cement a new, more principled course in our politics? Or will the extremists win even more influence and control?

We hold the power to decide that question, and we have to work together to defeat extremists like Mike Collins.

Mike Ongstad