A Republican running for a seat in the Arizona Legislature is facing criticism after two pictures that appeared to show her in blackface and brownface surfaced with just a few weeks to go before the midterm elections.
The two photographs released on social media are believed to show Mary Ann Mendoza, a Republican, dressed in an “Aunt Jemima” costume with blackface and dressed as the Native American figure Pocahontas with her face painted brown.
“AZ #GOP candidate #MaryAnnMendoza appears to be wearing blackface in newly posted photos:
Mary Ann Mendoza—running for the AZ House of Representatives—apparently wore multiple costumes depicting blackface in the photographs.”https://t.co/apM7qcnhbm pic.twitter.com/rhek1bo7Qq
— Rex Doctor (@RexDoctor) October 22, 2022
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The Washington Examiner has not been able to verify the photos independently, but Mendoza’s political opponents have already used them to paint Mendoza as a racist.
Democratic candidate Lorena Austin said in a statement that the “hate-filled” pictures should disqualify Mendoza from running.
“Frankly, it’s racist rhetoric that is very harmful to communities that reside right here in Mesa,” she said.
Another Democratic candidate, Seth Blattman, added that the pictures are “in no way representative of the way people in Mesa feel” and said that the community is “diverse, vibrant, and not racist.”
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Mendoza is known for creating controversy. She was pulled as a speaker at the 2020 Republican National Convention after she tweeted an antisemitic thread that featured a number of QAnon conspiracy theories, including that the Titanic was purposely sunk to protect the Federal Reserve. She has been suspended from Twitter in the past after claiming that billionaire George Soros was involved in a plot to create a one-world government with the “Rotchild” family.
An email seeking comment from Mendoza’s campaign was not immediately returned.
