So far this election cycle, Glenn Youngkin has campaigned, or is planning to campaign for, a slew of far-right extremists like Tudor Dixon in Michigan, Paul LePage in Maine, Heidi Ganahl in Colorado, Joe Lombardo in Nevada, Kari Lake, etc, etc. The latest was in Connecticut Wednesday night, as Youngkin campaigned for Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob Stefanowski. And the next right winger Youngkin’s going to campaign for is Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Ronchetti in New Mexico. Check this guy out:
- According to Ronchetti’s website, he is a “strong supporter of our Second Amendment rights” who says he “will oppose efforts by liberal gun-grabbers who seek to criminalize law-abiding gun owners rather than focus on prosecuting criminals.” Also note that in 2020, Ronchetti tweeted that he was “[e]xcited to announce I’ve received the endorsement from the @NRA!” Ronchetti’s been endorsed by the NRA again this year.
- On abortion, Ronchetti says he believes that it should be banned after 15 weeks, with exceptions for “cases involving rape, incest, and when a mother’s life is at risk.” However, according to the website Ronchetti on Abortion, Ronchetti previously wrote on his website (before deleting it) that “Mark is a man of faith and strongly Pro-Life. He will champion religious freedoms and the Right to Life.” And in 2020, Ronchetti said he “believes life is a gift from God and every person has dignity and worth. Life should be protected – at all stages. With respect to abortion, he is strongly pro-life. He believes unborn babies have souls, can feel emotions, and are every bit a human being; they just happen to be living inside their mother.” And Ronchetti reportedly told Legacy Church Senior Pastor Steve Smothermon privately that “his goal would be to end abortion in New Mexico.” So, as much as Ronchetti’s trying to hide his extreme stance on women’s reproductive choice/freedom, the facts are out there…
- On the climate crisis, Ronchetti said “I mean you know climate change doesn’t cause fires, come on.” Which is complete nonsense, of course; in fact, as as NPR explained: “large fires began igniting in the region at least a month early due to an extended drought made worse by human-caused climate change.”
- Ronchetti refused to denounce far-right fringe groups and seemed to indicate the groups were unfairly criticized.
- Ronchetti “wants to destroy the public school system in New Mexico by taking critical state dollars away from rural public schools to give it to wealthy people to help send their kids to private schools.”
- Ronchetti is an anti-immigrant hardliner who wants to “create a Border Strike Force within New Mexico’s Department of Public Safety” and vows to “order the National Guard to the border, eliminate the sanctuary policies that hide illegal immigrants who commit crimes from federal immigration officials, and do away with other policies that encourage illegal immigration, such as providing taxpayer-funded stimulus checks to illegal immigrants.”
- In 2020, Ronchetti wrote that he is “a proud conservative who supports President Trump”
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