FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29, 2022
Contact: Eva Lopez
Salt Lake County Democratic Party Chair
BREAKING: Tribune exposes extremist social posts by GOP clerk candidate
Just twenty-one days ago we warned Salt Lake County voters about the dangerous Republican extremists that are on November's ballot. Now, reporting today by the Salt Lake Tribune clearly shows how far Republican extremism and lies go.
Here are just a few examples of the extremist views held by Goud Maragani, the Republican Candidate for Salt Lake County Clerk:
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Maragani, called Democrats “commies” and “Marxists” in several posts. He also claimed the party is “full of mental cases” and that Democrats were “very involved with human and child trafficking.”
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In an August 2021 post made during the fight over mask mandates, Maragani said state Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, favored requiring masks in schools because she’s a Democrat. “That’s not surprising. She’s a Democrat which means she wants kids masked up because it’s part of their indoctrination program to turn your children into commies like them,” Maragani wrote.
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In September 2021, after the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, he claimed Afghan refugees were being brought to the U.S. to increase the number of Democratic voters. He also said Gov. Spencer Cox and Henderson did not object to bringing those refugees to Utah because they’re Democrats. “We need to get rid of Cox and his Lt. They’re Democrat infiltrators,” he wrote.
“This isn’t about being a Republican or a Democrat, it's about standing up to extremism and defending our republic. It’s about upholding the rule of law and safeguarding our public institutions and democracy” said Salt Lake County Party Chair, Eva Lopez.
It is important to note, Mr. Maragani’s comments are not alone. Some of these comments were made in a Telegram chat from the Utah Freedom Coalition, an organization that has endorsed numerous candidates in Salt Lake County, including:
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Salt Lake County District Attorney Candidate, Danielle Ahn
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Salt Lake County Sheriff Candidate, Nick Roberts
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Salt Lake County Council Candidate, Sheldon Stewart
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State School Board Candidate, District 5, Laurel Fetzer
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State School Board Candidate, District 8, Christina Boggess
“These extremist candidates cannot be trusted with power. It’s that simple.”
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