Congresswoman Urged to Resign for Agreeing With Radio Host’s Demand That Hakeem Jeffries Get His ‘Cotton-Picking Hands’ off Virginia

Senior House Democrats called for Virginia Rep. Jen Kiggans to resign after she agreed with a radio show host who said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., should keep his “cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.”

Jeffries’ top Democratic lieutenants, Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark and California Rep. Pete Aguilar, led the charge on Monday, May 11, demanding that Kiggans apologize and resign for the host’s “use of brazenly racist language to attack Black leaders,” as Clark put it.

“Republicans are taking us backwards in every single way. This racist rhetoric is absolutely disqualifying from a Member of Congress,” Aguilar wrote. “Rep. Kiggans must apologize then get the hell out of the House.”

The Monday morning interview on Richmond’s Morning News with Rich Herrera came after the Virginia Supreme Court tossed out a new, voter-approved congressional map in the state that would have carved out more seats for Democrats amid the partisan gerrymandering wars unfolding across the nation.

Jeffries’ political operation had poured millions into that effort to counter conservative states’ similar redistricting plans as he seeks to secure a Democratic majority this fall and become the first Black speaker of the House in U.S. history.

“If Hakeem Jeffries wants to be involved, then I suggest he does what a bunch of New Yorkers are doing: leave New York, move down here to Virginia. Run for office down here,” WRVA’s Rich Herrera said towards the end of a 12-minute segment with Kiggans. “You can represent us. If not, get your cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.”

“That’s right. Ditto. Yes, yes to that,” Kiggans replied.

{snip}