CHICAGO – 70-year-old Arthur Jones could be the next GOP nominee running for Congress.
That’s because the retired insurance broker is the only Republican candidate running in the Illinois Primary representing the state’s 3rd congressional district, which covers parts of Chicago and its southwest suburbs.
But Jones says his cell phone rings all day long with calls from angry voters who don’t want to see him in office.
“This is just unbelievable you know I turn the phone off for 5 minutes and turn it back on and bing! There it is,” Jones tells WQAD.
Jones is getting heavy backlash for his anti-Semite and white supremacist activism pictured on his website, and for comments calling the holocaust “the biggest, blackest lie in history.”
“The holocaust is a bunch of kosher baloney. It’s an extortion racket pure and simple to extort money out of perpetrators of the holocaust,” says Jones.
Jones says he wants his campaign to focus on more current issues such as immigration, and health care.
“Build the wall, alright. Bring our troops home now to defend our boarders, no more sanctuary cities, no amnesty to illegal aliens…. As an insurance agent for the past 30 years, I know more about health insurance than any of those idiots in Congress,” Jones says.
Jones is running against Democrats Marie Newman from La Grange and Rep. Dan Lipinski, who currently represents Illinois’ 3rd congressional district.
In a statement sent to WQAD Lipinski says:
“Art Jones’ ideas strike at the heart of our belief as Americans that everyone deserves equal treatment. His bigoted and anti-Semitic beliefs do not belong in Congress. Mr. Jones’ statements personally disgust me because I believe that every individual has a God-given right to be treated with dignity. He does not reflect this Congressional district or its values.”
Some Republican leaders say they don’t want to see Jones hold public office either.
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider said in a statement:
“The Illinois Republican Party and our country have no place for Nazis like Arthur Jones. We strongly oppose his racist views and his candidacy for any public office, including the 3rd Congressional District.”
Jones unsuccessfully ran for office in 2012 and again in 2016. Illinois primary elections will be held March 20th.
