During the election cycle just ended, too many conservative candidates steered their campaigns in a dangerous anti-Muslim direction. They spewed nasty rhetoric on the campaign trail, damaging the image of the Republican Party and alienating voters.

Muslim Advocates released a report in October detailing the increased amount of anti-Muslim rhetoric in campaign messaging, finding it in at least 80 campaigns this cycle, 78 of them from Republicans. Half of the candidates were running for Congress, and 23 competed in the general election.