Eric Porterfield | |
---|---|
Member of the West VirginiaHouseofDelegates from the 27th district | |
In office December 1, 2018 –December 1, 2020 | |
Preceded by | Marty Gearheart |
Succeeded by | Marty Gearheart |
Personal details | |
Born | Eric Earl Porterfield November 17,1974 Princeton,West Virginia,U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Children | 2 |
Residence(s) | Princeton,West Virginia,U.S. |
Eric Earl Porterfield (born November 17,1974) is an American politician and a Republican former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates,representing District 27,which includes parts of Mercer and Raleigh counties. First elected in 2018,Porterfield is the second blind person ever to serve in the West Virginia legislature. Alongside being known for being a physically disabled politician,Porterfield is also well known for his unwavering opposition to rights for LGBT people,who he has compared to terrorists and the Ku Klux Klan. He is on video expressing that,should his daughter or son come out gay,he would “see if they knew how to swim”;implying he would drown them. In the June 2020 primary he was defeated in his bid for re-election,coming in last of Republican candidates running. [1]
This article is part of a series on |
Conservatism in the United States |
---|
![]() |
Porterfield was born and raised in Princeton, West Virginia. Describing himself as a "pretty wild, out-of-control teenager," he later attended a Bible college at age 20. [2] [3] In 2006, at age 32, he was blinded as a result of a head injury received in a physical altercation. [4] Porterfield has not discussed the cause or nature of the altercation, noting "I can't fully get into all the details of it, because there's still some stuff pending on it, but a major altercation with a multitude of men ended up leaving me instantaneously blind on December 10, 2006." [4]
According to a police report, the altercation occurred shortly after 3 a.m. in the parking lot of Cavanaugh's Sports Bar and Eatery in Schererville, Indiana. [5] The responding officer indicated that he saw two individuals "jump" Porterfield after a verbal argument with Porterfield and another man, later identified as Steve McPherson. When the officer asked Porterfield what happened, Porterfield responded: "[you're] a cop so fucking figure it out." [5] The officer further detailed that Porterfield was "very uncooperative" and "refused to answer any questions other than his name" or provide photo identification. [5] Porterfield was initially charged with one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct. [5] Porterfield was taken to the emergency room by ambulance and diagnosed with bilateral globe perforation. Despite the severity of his injuries and resulting blindness, Porterfield declined to press criminal charges against anyone involved in the incident and declined to give a formal statement, leading police to discontinue the investigation. [5]
Porterfield subsequently filed a civil personal injury action against the sports bar for negligent and/or reckless conduct in failing to take reasonable care for his safety as a patron. [6] In a sworn deposition taken November 25, 2008, Porterfield stated he and McPherson arrived at Cavanaugh's around 11:00 p.m. on December 9, 2006, after leaving a strip club in Harvey, Illinois. [7] According to the police report, a verbal altercation began shortly after 3:00 a.m. in the bar's parking lot after McPherson touched a woman without her consent. [5] McPherson apologized to the woman, at which point Porterfield approached and asked, "what are you apologizing to this bitch for? You don't have to apologize." [5] Porterfield then asked two of the woman's friends, Jesus Venegas and Jason Dorado, "what are you bitches going to do about it?" [5] Dorado later stated in a sworn deposition that he then saw Porterfield knock down Venegas. [7] According to Dorado, Anthony Acevedo, the woman's cousin, hit Porterfield, leading Dorado to put Porterfield in a headlock. [7] Dorado stated he "poked [Porterfield's] eyes out" after Porterfield bit off part of Dorado's ear. [7]
Porterfield was spurred to run for political office after a Republican Mercer County magistrate granted a protective order against him and his wife; this was in response to their organizing a boycott of a local OB-GYN over her support of abortion rights. Porterfield has also cited his opposition to a law banning conversion therapy as a contributing factor in his decision to run. [4] He succeeded incumbent delegate Marty Gearheart, who decided to forgo reelection in 2018 and seek West Virginia's 3rd congressional district seat. [8] Porterfield was defeated in his re-election bid on June 9, 2020, coming in last of Republican candidates running.
Porterfield strongly opposes LGBT rights. [9] [10] In February 2019, Porterfield faced criticism and calls to resign after he made a series of homophobic comments. After using the slur "faggot" in committee on February 6 while advocating for an amendment that would nullify local LGBT anti-discrimination ordinances, he appeared in interviews on February 8 calling the LGBT community "a modern day version of the Ku Klux Klan" and a "terrorist group." [11] [12] On February 10, when asked during a television interview on WVVA what he would do if his son and daughter ever came out to him as gay, Porterfield repeatedly responded that he would "see if they could swim" and declined to clarify what he meant. [13] This was taken by many as implying he would drown them, though Porterfield later rejected this interpretation. [14] [15] [16] West Virginia Republican Party chair Melody Potter denounced Porterfield's words as unacceptable, saying further that they were "hateful, hurtful, and do not reflect the values of our country, our state, and the Republican Party." [17] In response, Porterfield refused to apologize and doubled-down on his original statements, calling LGBTQ people "brutal monsters." [18]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | John Shott | 2,220 | 23.77% | |
Republican | Joe Ellington | 2,033 | 21.77% | |
Republican | Eric Porterfield | 1,854 | 19.85% | |
Republican | Zane Lawhorn | 1,845 | 19.75% | |
Republican | Mike Swatts | 1,388 | 14.86% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | John Shott | 9,721 | 23.31% | |
Republican | Eric Porterfield | 8,821 | 21.15% | |
Republican | Joe Ellington | 8,729 | 20.93% | |
Democratic | Carol Bailey | 6,066 | 14.55% | |
Democratic | Phoebe Meadows | 4,208 | 10.09% | |
Democratic | Lacy Watson | 3,373 | 8.09% | |
Mountain | Karen White | 785 | 1.88% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Marty Gearheart | 4,165 | 28% | |
Republican | Joe C. Ellington, Jr. | 3,787 | 25% | |
Republican | Doug Smith | 3,028 | 20% | |
Republican | Jeremiah Nelson | 2,079 | 14% | |
Republican | Eric Porterfield | 2,005 | 13% |
Porterfield married the former Jessica Worrell and has two children, Beth and John. They live in Princeton. [4] He is a born again Baptist missionary. [22] He founded Blind Faith Ministries in 2012 and has done missionary work with the group in South Sudan, Venezuela, and Cuba. [3] He is a member and holds a position at Rich Creek Baptist Church in Spanishburg, WV. Pastor of Rich Creek Baptist, Jamie Mattox is also Vice Chairman of Porterfield's Blind Faith Ministries. He is legally blind.
The Ku Klux Klan, commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is the name of several historical and current American white supremacist, far-right terrorist organizations and hate groups. Various commentators, including Fergus Bordewich, have characterized the Klan as America's first terrorist group. Their primary targets, at various times and places, have been African Americans, Jews, and Catholics.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white supremacist groups, for its classification of hate groups and other extremist organizations, and for promoting tolerance education programs. The SPLC was founded by Morris Dees, Joseph J. Levin Jr., and Julian Bond in 1971 as a civil rights law firm in Montgomery.
The 1924 United States presidential election was the 35th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 4, 1924. In a three-way contest, incumbent Republican President Calvin Coolidge won election to a full term. Coolidge was the second vice president to ascend to the presidency and then win a full term.
Amos Tappan Akerman was an American politician who served as United States Attorney General under President Ulysses S. Grant from 1870 to 1871. A native of New Hampshire, Akerman graduated from Dartmouth College in 1842 and moved South, where he spent most of his career. He first worked as headmaster of a school in North Carolina and as a tutor in Georgia. Having become interested in law, Akerman studied and passed the bar in Georgia in 1850; where he and an associate set up a law practice. He also owned a farm and enslaved eleven people. When the American Civil War broke out in 1861, Akerman joined the Confederate Army, where he achieved the rank of colonel.
A Kleagle is an officer of the Ku Klux Klan whose main role is to recruit new members and must maintain the three guiding principles: "recruit, maintain control, and safeguard."
Edward L. Jackson was an American attorney, judge and politician, elected the 32nd governor of the U.S. state of Indiana from January 12, 1925, to January 14, 1929. He had also been elected as Secretary of State of Indiana.
The Enforcement Act of 1871, also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, Third Enforcement Act, Third Ku Klux Klan Act, Civil Rights Act of 1871, or Force Act of 1871, is an Act of the United States Congress that was intended to combat the paramilitary vigilantism of the Ku Klux Klan. The act made certain acts committed by private persons federal offenses including conspiring to deprive citizens of their rights to hold office, serve on juries, or enjoy the equal protection of law. The Act authorized the President to deploy federal troops to counter the Klan and to suspend the writ of habeas corpus to make arrests without charge.
William Dudley Chipley was an American railroad executive and politician who was instrumental in the building of the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad and was a tireless promoter of Pensacola, his adopted city, where he was elected to one term as mayor, and later to a term as Florida state senator.
This is a partial list of notable historical figures in U.S. national politics who were members of the Ku Klux Klan before taking office. Membership of the Klan is secret. Political opponents sometimes allege that a person was a member of the Klan, or was supported at the polls by Klan members.
Walter Walker was a newspaper owner and editor in Colorado who briefly served as Democratic United States Senator in late 1932 after being appointed to fill a vacancy pending a special election.
James M. Hinds was the first U.S. Congressman assassinated in office. He served as member of the United States House of Representatives for Arkansas from June 24, 1868 until his assassination by the Ku Klux Klan. Hinds, who was white, was an advocate of civil rights for black former slaves during the Reconstruction era following the American Civil War.
George Richard Durgan was an American politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from Indiana from 1933 to 1935.
John D. Ragan Jr. is an American politician. A Republican, he represents District 33 in the Tennessee House of Representatives.
The Ku Klux Klan is an organization that expanded operations into Canada, based on the second Ku Klux Klan established in the United States in 1915. It operated as a fraternity, with chapters established in parts of Canada throughout the 1920s and early 1930s. The first registered provincial chapter was registered in Toronto in 1925 by two Americans and a Canadian. The organization was most successful in Saskatchewan, where it briefly influenced political activity and whose membership included a member of Parliament, Walter Davy Cowan.
The 1924 United States presidential election in Ohio was held on November 4, 1924, as part of the 1924 United States presidential election. State voters chose twenty-four electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Thomas Housch Benton is an American Republican politician who served in the Georgia House of Representatives from the 31st district from 2005 to 2023. He has been repeatedly criticized for neo-Confederate comments.
On November 15, 1937, about 200 Ku Klux Klan members stormed the popular LGBT-serving nightclub, La Paloma, in an unincorporated area of Dade County, Florida, ordering patrons to leave and shutting the nightclub down for the evening.
The 1924 United States presidential election in Kansas was held on November 4, 1924, as part of the 1924 United States presidential election. State voters chose ten electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Tim Rudd is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2016, representing District 34.
John Franklin Mandt Jr. is an American businessman, politician, who formerly served as a Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 16, which includes parts of Cabell and Lincoln counties. First elected in 2018, he resigned after it was reported he made homophobic remarks in a private Facebook chat. Mandt previously referred to the LGBT community as "the alphabet hate group" and called Delegate Eric Porterfield "a great guy" in response to his own anti-gay comments.