The Kansas Democratic Party withdrew its support for Aaron Coleman, a Democratic candidate who admitted to posting revenge porn when he was 14.
A spokesman announced on Wednesday that the party would not be assisting Coleman in his campaign for a state House seat in a reliably Democratic district after he was accused of domestic violence and admitted to sending revenge porn and cyberbullying girls as a minor. Instead, Kansas Democratic Party spokesman Reeves Oyster said the party will be supporting incumbent Rep. Stan Frownfelter in a write-in campaign.
“The pattern of alarming behavior reported and exhibited by Mr. Coleman proves he is unfit to serve in the Kansas Legislature,” Oyster said in a statement reported by The Hill. “The Party will in no way be helping Mr. Coleman’s candidacy or campaign.”
Coleman, who is 19 years old, had briefly dropped out of the race after the details about his behavior as a minor surfaced, but he quickly reversed his decision and announced that he would be staying in the race.
As part of its decision to cut ties with Coleman, the party appeared to remove him from ActBlue, an online fundraising platform used by Democrats and left-leaning causes.
“Our actblue has somehow been disabled,” Coleman tweeted. “We are currently pursuing alternative avenues at this juncture. Onwards to November!”
What’s going on over at @actblue HQ? ❣️ pic.twitter.com/eRHFSJkja4
— Aaron Coleman ? (@Aaron4KS37) August 25, 2020
ActBlue later confirmed to Coleman that he had been removed from the platform because he fell “out of alignment with ActBlue’s mission.”
Coleman has apologized for his behavior toward women.
“I do apologize to them from a place of remorse and shame, but words alone are not an acceptable response today,” Coleman said. “We need to provide safety to women in this society, which we do not currently do. I believe that we have a moral obligation to provide a life of dignity to our citizens, and, I think, that with more self-respect, I would have been a better person to those women in middle school.”
Frownfelter, a seven-year incumbent, only lost the primary contest to Coleman in the 37th Congressional District by 14 votes. Although no Republican filed to run for the district, Kristina Smith, a Republican, announced a write-in campaign.
