‘Cotton picking’: US lawmaker condemned for racist comment about Jeffries | Race Issues News
The office of Hakeem Jeffries, the highest-ranking Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, issued a statement on Tuesday denouncing a fellow lawmaker who supported a racially charged comment directed at Jeffries. The remarks were made by U.S. Representative Jen Kiggans during a conservative radio talk show.
Kiggans appeared on the program hosted by Rich Herrera, who criticized Jeffries for backing a proposal to alter Virginia’s congressional map. During the discussion, Herrera suggested that Jeffries should either move to Virginia to run for office or “get your cotton-picking hands off of Virginia,” a phrase commonly regarded as racially insensitive.
Kiggans, a Republican, responded affirmatively, saying, “Yes. Yes to that.” However, she later clarified that she did not condone Herrera’s language, asserting that her agreement was limited to the broader sentiment regarding Democrats’ involvement in redistricting.
“The radio host should not have used that language, and I do not — and did not — condone it,” Kiggans stated. “It was obvious to anyone listening that I was agreeing Hakeem Jeffries should stay out of Virginia.”
A spokesperson for Jeffries, Christie Stephenson, criticized Kiggans, stating, “Extremists who endorse disgusting, vile and racist language are pathetic.” She further accused Kiggans of lacking commitment to the nation’s progress toward a multiracial democracy, suggesting a desire to revert to “the days of Jim Crow racial oppression in the South.”
Prominent Democrats, including U.S. Minority Whip Katherine Clark and California Governor Gavin Newsom, have called for Kiggans’ resignation. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) also shared a clip of the radio exchange on social media, stating, “Did she agree with him? Yes. Is this racist? Yes. Should she resign? Yes to that, too.”
This incident follows a controversial moment in February when former President Donald Trump shared a racially charged video depicting Barack Obama and Michelle Obama in derogatory terms. Tim Scott, the only Black Republican senator, condemned the video, which was subsequently removed.
The current controversy arises amid broader debates over redistricting in anticipation of November’s midterm elections. States typically redraw their electoral maps every decade based on census data. Last year, the Trump administration urged the Texas legislature to create a congressional map favoring Republicans, prompting various states to consider partisan redistricting.
In Virginia, a newly approved map aimed at increasing Democratic districts was invalidated by the state’s Supreme Court, leading Democrats to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Notably, partisan gerrymandering—manipulating electoral maps for political gain—is legal under U.S. law, though it has faced criticism for undermining democratic principles.
Discrimination based on race, however, is prohibited. The Voting Rights Act of 1973 was established to ensure fair representation. Nonetheless, a Supreme Court ruling in April weakened the enforcement of this law, making it easier to dismantle majority-Black congressional districts unless overtly racist intentions can be demonstrated.
Civil rights organizations have expressed concerns that proving such intentions is nearly impossible and that the ruling could dilute voting power for Black Americans, who traditionally lean Democratic. In response, Republican lawmakers in states like Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina are pursuing redistricting initiatives following the Supreme Court’s decision.
