Draft:Darrell Leon McClanahan
 | Review waiting, please be patient.
This may take 3 months or more, since drafts are reviewed in no specific order. There are 2,383 pending submissions waiting for review.
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
Reviewer tools
|
Darrell Leon McClanahan III | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Other political affiliations | Ku Klux Klan |
| Residence(s) | Schell City, Missouri, United States |
| Profession | Politician |
Darrell Leon McClanahan III is an American politician from Missouri.
A member of the Republican Party, he ran for Missouri's Senate in 2022 and in the state's 2024 gubernatorial election. The state's arm of the GOP has attempted to oust him from the ballot in the latter election after his Ku Klux Klan affiliation and resurfaced pictures showing McClanahan giving the Nazi salute with a robed Klansman in front of a burning cross spread on social media in March 2024.
The Anti-Defamation League actively tracks McClanahan, whom the organization considers extremist and calls a "white supremacist".[1] He sued the ADL and its director Jonathan Greenblatt in 2023 for defamation and the lawsuit was subsequently dismissed later that year.
Politics
2022 Missouri Senate election
In 2022 McClanahan filed for Missouri's open Senate seat along with almost two dozen other GOP candidates.[2] During that campaign, he opposed the United States sending aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War, and did not support vaccinations.[3] McClanahan said Missouri GOP Chairman Nick Myers was aware of his beliefs when he was running, saying “[Myers] vetted me and knew I was a Christian identist; and that I should just not say anything bad about the Jews.”[4]
Out of 21 candidates in the primary, McClanahan came in 14th place with 1,1369 votes, or .2% of the total party tabulation.[5] He did therefore not move beyond the primary phase of the election.
2024 Missouri gubernatorial election
In 2023, McClanahan filed to run for the gubernatorial election, hoping to serve after term-limited Governor Mike Parson. Former Missouri Representative Shamed Dogan, who is black, took issue with McClanahan appearing on the ballot and called him a "racist loser", tweeting:
Hey @MissouriGOP I just learned the candidate listed first on our primary ballot for Governor is a cross-burning KKK member who ran for US Senate 2 years ago and freely admits his KKK membership & white supremacist beliefs.[6]
After the tweet went viral and photos of McClanahan circulated online with him standing next to a robed Ku Klux Klan member with them both giving the Nazi salute in front of a burning cross, Missouri's GOP arm tried to have him removed from the ballot. McClanahan denied the pictured event was a cross burning, calling it a “religious Christian Identity Cross lighting ceremony”.[7] McClanahan confirmed he was given a one-year honorary membership to the KKK, and said, "The Missouri GOP knew exactly who I am... [They are a] bunch of Anti-White hypocrites."[7] As of March 1, 2024, he still appeared on the official candidate list.[8] In a statement to Law & Crime, McClanahan wrote in part:
I have not been removed from the Missouri ballot. I filed legally and lawfully. The GOP knew exactly who I am. They will need to file a civil complaint to remove me.[8]
The Associated Press stated because the state GOP accepted his fee, they cannot remove him from the ballot without a court order. Missouri Secretary of State JoDonn Chaney concurred, writing, "It would take a court order for us to remove him from the ballot."[9]
The Missouri Republican Party filed suit on March 21, 2024 have McClanahan removed from the ballot, who is listed as the defendant for the suit. In response, he posted a YouTube video to his channel titled “Missouri GOP filed a lawsuit against me What a bunch of Anti-White Hypocrites”.[10]
Personal life
As of July 2022, McClanahan lived in Schell City, Missouri.[2] By March 2024, he lived in the village of Milo, Missouri.[11] McClanahan is married with four children.[12]
Beliefs
McClanahan espouses Christian Identity beliefs, has attended the Church of Israel, and is a member of the League of the South. He attended events held by a faction of the KKK called the Knights Party, which is led by Thomas Robb, and wrote an article for their newsletter The Torch in 2019.[1] The article focused on his experience attending the Unite the Right rally in August 2017.[13]
Criminal charges
In 2008, a restraining order was issued against McClanahan.[9] In July 2022, he faced legal charges of harassment, property damage, and theft.[3] The trial is scheduled to begin in April 2024.[9]
Anti-Defamation League tracking and lawsuit
McClanahan has been tracked for a number of years by the ADL because of his views, which the organization has labeled as extremist.[1] He filed a $5 million lawsuit against the organization and its director Jonathan Greenblatt in September 2023 due to their online profile covering him and his beliefs. In the suit he describes himself as a "Pro-White man, horseman, politician, political prisoner-activist who is dedicated to traditional Christian values."[6] The lawsuit was dismissed in December 2023 by Judge Jill A. Morris, who wrote the ADL's profile "substantially align[s] with the truth." [6]
References
- ^ a b c "ADL Researchers Identify Failed Extremist Candidates in Missouri and North Carolina". Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ a b Koch, Makenzie. "2022 primary election: Who is running for U.S. Senate in Missouri?". Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ a b Keller, Rudi. "Lesser-known state candidates struggle for spotlight in U.S. Senate primaries". Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ Jacobson, Alexandria. "'Hypocrites': 'Honorary' KKK member running for Missouri governor trashes GOP comrades". Raw Story. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
- ^ "Primary Election Results 2022" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ a b c Krull, Ryan. "Missouri GOP Candidate for Governor Was Only 'Honorary' KKK Member". Riverfront Times. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ a b Murdock, Sebastian. "Missouri GOP Moves To Oust Gov. Candidate With KKK Ties Seen Giving Nazi Salute". Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ a b Buchman, Brandi. "'Its an invisible empire': GOP gubernatorial candidate who said he had invitation for 'honorary' membership to join KKK kicked off ballot". Law and Crime. Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ a b c Ballentine, Summer. "Missouri Republicans try to remove man with ties to KKK from party ballot". AP. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ Connor, Tracy (March 21, 2024). "Missouri GOP Sues to Kick KKK-Linked Racist Off Its Ballot". Daily Beast. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- ^ Nelson, Alisa. "GOP PARTY WORKS TO REMOVE KKK-AFFILIATED GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE FROM BALLOT". Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
- ^ "Gubernatorial campaign website". Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
- ^ Quinlan Houghtaling, Ellie. "Missouri GOP Candidate: It's OK, I'm Only an "Honorary" KKK Member". Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.