Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes Statement Condemning Hate Speech Exposed in Young Republicans Private Group Messages

Topeka, Kans. — On October 14th, Politico reported on thousands of pages of chats among leaders of Young Republican chapters across the country, specifically naming individuals from Kansas.

Kansas Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes released the following statement:

“Hate speech is never acceptable, and hateful rhetoric cannot be tolerated in the conversations of our political leaders,” Kansas Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, said.

“How we act and what we say when no one is looking or when we think no one is watching is a far better reflection of our values than our curated public-facing comments.

“In their statement, the Kansas Young Democrats said, ‘Healthy debate and civic dialogue are vital to a functioning democracy. However, this hateful rhetoric is more akin to language used in the dark corners of the internet rather than language used by supposed future leaders of the Republican Party.’ I couldn’t agree more.

“The Kansas Senate Democrats stand with the Kansas Young Democrats in calling for all elected and party leaders of the Kansas Republican Party to condemn hate and bigotry in all its forms.”