Georgia legislator resigns over racist TV performance

KINGSLAND, Ga. -- On Tuesday, many in state Rep. Jason Spencer's district could agree on two things: what he said and did on Showtime was vile; and that he should just resign.

But few thought he'd do it, largely because Spencer had already declined calls from high-ranking Georgia Republicans to step down. Then, after another day of his appearance on "Who is America?" making the rounds online, after a few more million people heard him scream racial slurs and saw him pull his pants down in a bizarre fake anti-training exercise, the Woodbine, Georgia, physician's assistant and father sent a terse resignation letter to state House Speaker David Ralston late Tuesday.

"No one or nothing wins in this deal," said Camden County GOP Chair Rachel Baldwin. "There is a lot of healing that can take place here. The toxic environment of our political world will only change when each of us commits to sharing and promoting our values in positive and productive ways that benefit our respective communities."

Baldwin, who had figured Spencer wouldn't resign because he is known for sticking to even unpopular positions, said she fears the episode could hurt the GOP in the governor's race.

"He just handed a present to Stacy Abrams," Baldwin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, referring to the Democrat opposing Republican Brian Kemp.

Kemp had long had Spencer's endorsement, but removed it from his list of supporters after Spencer made his Showtime debut.

The show aired Sunday night and featured Spencer shouting the N-word, mocking Chinese people and exposing his buttocks during what he thought was a self-defense training exercise against terrorists.

Spencer said he fell for the show's prank because of paralyzing fear his family would be attacked. He said he had received death threats after proposing a bill that would've placed limits on where women could wear burqas last year.

Story Filed By Cox Newspapers

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