State senator who defended anti-Police rioters now begging for Police protection after getting hate mail
Over the weekend, state Sen. Jacob Candelaria (D-Albuquerque), known for his far-left extremism, took to Twitter to bully citizens peacefully protesting Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s public health orders in Santa Fe, as well as others on a variety of issues.
He branded the peaceful group of folks as “rioters,” and claimed the event was a “super spreader,” despite his participation in a Black Lives Matter/Antifa “protest” in June, where he live-streamed himself without a mask and not following the CDC’s health guidelines of staying six feet apart. This was also in violation of Gov. Lujan Grisham’s health orders at the time barring large gatherings, and recommending masks/social distancing. By his own definition, he also participated in a “super spreader” event.
The protest devolved into a lawless mob of violence, where small businesses in Downtown Albuquerque suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. At the time, Candelaria offered free legal services to the rioters. Months later, business owners are still trying to reconcile Candelaria’s damage cause by potential clients.
Candelaria has targeted Law Enforcers on multiple occasions, including supporting a proposal to “demilitarize” the Police and bullying local sheriffs who declined to enforce Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s strict lockdown policies during the coronavirus pandemic.
He claimed Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales, “is part of the problem” and that he “refuses to embrace basic reforms and embraces #MAGA.”
During the weekend, he also targeted a constituent and pro-life priest with sexually suggestive GIFs and bullied a Republican state representative who is running for the New Mexico Senate. The priest, who tweeted his support for the dignity of human life and no sex outside of marriage, got this reply from Candelaria: “I LOVE BEING GAY. That’s a fact,” along with a GIF of a man taking off his shirt.
Later on Sunday, Candelaria got hate mail from a clearly unhinged individual who left voicemails including homophobic slurs and the line “we’re going to get you out one way or another, motherf***er.” Candelaria responded on Twitter, claiming the Police were not responding fast enough and saying he was going to “flee” Albuquerque with his husband for his own safety.
He tagged Gov. Lujan Grisham and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller on multiple melodramatic Twitter threads, pleading with them for “a public call for some sort of protection until this investigation can be done and completed.” He demanded protection due to him being a state legislator and claimed he had no response from city or state police, other than officers coming to his house. According to one report by the Albuquerque Journal, “he grew frustrated when officers suggested the voice messages were not necessarily a threat.” He claimed the Governor’s office said there was no “budget” to protect him.
He wrote, “I understand you are busy with the transition @GovMLG, but I believe when credible threats of violence are made against any member of #nmleg, it should not take hours and dozens of calls to get anyone to take the threat seriously.”
After months of railing against Law Enforcers, including the Bernalillo County Sheriff, the state senator’s calls for special protection from the very entities he has targeted have fallen flat in what appears to be a ploy to gain attention ahead of the November 3 election. Candelaria now claims he will use guns to protect himself, even though he has been a staunch anti-gun advocate.