{"id":87140,"date":"2026-11-05T21:03:47","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T02:03:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=87140"},"modified":"2026-11-05T21:04:00","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T02:04:00","slug":"polk-gop-faces-backlash-over-halloween-post-targeting-candidates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2026\/11\/05\/polk-gop-faces-backlash-over-halloween-post-targeting-candidates\/","title":{"rendered":"Polk GOP Faces Backlash Over Halloween Post Targeting Candidates"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Polk County Republican Executive Committee (Polk GOP) faced criticism following a Halloween night post on social media targeting Democratic candidates leading up to the 2026 local elections.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Social Media Post<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Shared on Facebook around 10 p.m. on Halloween, the post targeted Polk County School Board candidate Victor Sims and U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon.<\/sup> The original message read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“This Halloween, the scariest thing isn’t a costume. It’s Victor Sims on our School Board and Angie Nixon in the U.S. Senate. Don’t let Polk get spooked. Vote Republican on Tuesday, November 3.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Critics quickly pointed out that using the word “spooked”<\/strong> in reference to political opponents\u2014specifically targeted at Black candidates like Sims\u2014carried historical racial slurs and derogatory connotations.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Response & Explanation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Roughly three hours after the initial upload, the post was edited around 1 a.m. to remove the phrasing “Don’t let Polk get spooked”<\/em> without adding a formal follow-up statement or written apology.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Sam Romain (Polk GOP Chairman)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
    \n
  • Sam Romain (Polk GOP Chairman):<\/strong> Romain stated that an older Black friend and spiritual advisor contacted him after the post went live to educate him on the word’s historical use as a racial slur. Romain explained that at 32 years old, he was completely unaware of that meaning and only associated the word with holiday fear or intelligence officers. He denied that the post was intended as a “racist dog whistle” and characterized it as an unintended mistake tied to a Halloween-themed pun.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Victor Sims (School Board Candidate):<\/strong> Sims acknowledged that political attack posts from the executive committee were common, describing the wording as being in “poor taste”. However, after speaking directly with Romain, Sims stated he accepted Romain’s explanation as sincere and believed the wording was an attempt at seasonal humor rather than intentional malice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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