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* Press release…

Desi Anderson: Rep. Chung’s Racist Mailings Beyond Accepted Political Attacks

In response to recent campaign mailings from Rep. Chung, paid for by the Democratic Party of Illinois, Desi Anderson, candidate for State Representative released the following statement:

“I’ll be the first to admit that political campaigns often enter the territory of truth-stretching during the heights of election season, and I truly believe our campaigns should stay focused on the issues important to our residents.

Unfortunately, recent mailings across the district from my opponent go beyond even the most egregious attacks related to policies and personalities. Our Representative, Sharon Chung, is currently sending racist altered images of me that purposely change the color of my skin, in an attempt to erase the heritage I am very proud of.

This race should be a bright spot for political campaigns in Illinois and across the nation, with two female minority candidates vying to represent their shared community. It is disgraceful that Rep. Chung would stoop to this level of attack and she should be ashamed.

I ask all of our residents and local media members to review these images and then ask Rep. Chung why she would engage in such racist tactics to win a political campaign.”

###

For Media Use: Attached is a graphic that shows a recent photo of Desi Anderson in comparison to two images used on recent mailings by the Chung campaign.

* However, Isabel and I scrolled through Desi Anderson’s Facebook page and found these…

* From Anderson’s campaign website…

* From the actual Democratic mailers in question sent to me by the HGOPs…

* The Question: Your take on this?

…Adding… From Democrats for the Illinois House…

The images of Anderson used in campaign materials are the same ones her campaign provided to the Peoria Journal Star, as well as other outlets. They are also being utilized extensively by her own campaign on social media and fundraising flyers. The lighting of these images was not altered in any way.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 1:50 pm

Comments

I have an extremely fair complexion, so I do not experience any issues (other than the occasional sunburn) on account of my skin color. However, I do enjoy photography as a hobby. It seems to me that the “issue” is a matter of lighting and time of year. Headshots can depict a person with a slightly lighter color due to the warmth of the lighting used by the photographer. Additionally, outdoor photography relies on natural lighting, which changes based on the season, level of clouds, location, etc.
Anderson’s press release included a photo from her that was taken outdoors in a different environment than the source photo from the opponent’s mailers. If Anderson’s campaign was truly concerned about photo manipulation, they should have included the source photo for the mailers instead.

Comment by Wisco Expat Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 1:57 pm
A pretty desperate ploy for someone who lightening their skin on their own campaign materials. Also flies right in the face of the GOP’s standard “doesn’t see color” lines their candidates of color always trot out. Hypocrisy abounds.

Comment by Google Is Your Friend Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 2:00 pm
It appears it’s a direct copy and paste of the door hanger in the third photo on this post.

Am I wrong?

Comment by Alton Sinkhole Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 2:03 pm
GOP standard operating move - feign outrage over nothing, because they have nothing to really address on the issues in Illinois otherwise.

Comment by TJ Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 2:04 pm
Mmm I don’t think so, but I’m light skinned and may not be aware of the nuances involved in these depictions.

Comment by Politix Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 2:05 pm
= It appears it’s a direct copy and paste of the door hanger in the third photo on this post. =

No, it’s not. Look at the clothes.

Comment by JoanP Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 2:06 pm
Past picture altering controversies used to be about campaigns darkening the color of their opponent’s skin. Perhaps this a sign of progress!

Comment by Darren Bailey's Blowtorch Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 2:13 pm
Much ado about nothing. Lighting and printing quality issues, not racism.

Comment by Jibba Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 2:13 pm
I don’t really put much stock in to either party criticizing the other. 9/10 times it is to discredit rather than there being a legitimate concern.

Both parties do it ad nauseam.

Comment by twowaystreet Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 2:14 pm
I am surprised because I see a lot of Desi Anderson signage around B-N which has given off a vibe she is running a strong, competitive, competent campaign.

But this press release feels like something a desperate, losing campaign would do.

There are vulnerabilities a Republican in McLean County could seize on when trying to unseat a Dem incumbent for the G.A.

Baselessly accusing another woman of color of engaging in colorism is not one of them when the Chung mailers appear to match her own campaign photo’s skin tone when she is wearing the tan suit.

And decrying racism while running on the Republican ticket in a Trump year? Who does that move into your vote column?

Finally, as far as I know Desi hasn’t even shared what her ethnic heritage ancestry is in the course of this campaign so what is the precise accusation here? The McLean County Republicans page just says she grew up in Bulgaria. Are Bulgarians known for having dark skin?

Very odd tactic.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 2:21 pm
Not sure about Photoshop trickery or not - but looking into this did illuminate Desi Anderson’s amazing life story.

Comment by Donnie Elgin Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 2:22 pm
Your take on this.
Desi Anderson is wrong in this instance.

Comment by don the legend Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 2:23 pm
Looks like she had bronzer or some other make up on in one pic and natural in the others. Or her skin was brightened by flash of light. As a person of color, I doubt Rep. Chung would greenlight something that could be construed as racist.

Comment by hmmm Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 2:39 pm
1. The image is not altered, cut straight from her website.

2. What’s this heritage she claims to be proud of? All her website says is that she was adopted from Bulgaria at age 7. She’s not Bulgarian. Turkish? Roma? If she is so proud, why doesn’t she say?

3. This looks like a desparate ploy for attention from a losing campaign. Or a candidate reacting to their first-ever negative mailers. Or maybe she is finding out people assume based on her skin tone in the pics on her website that she is of Middle East descent, and that does not play well.

Conclusion: Racism is real, and racism sometimes creeps subtlely or not-so-subtley into campaigns. But candidates making wild-eyed, false accusations undermine actual incidents of racism. And that’s what Anderson is doing. Shameless.

Comment by Thomas Paine Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 4:31 pm
=== Your take on this?===

I have not really cared about or followed this campaign but I think that this situation is a non-issue and have found nothing where she is discussing her racial or ethnic identity as any aspect of her campaign. This post caused me to review her website which is filled with other spurious claims about her background and makes some contradictory claims.

Such as:

===Desi was not allowed to go to school in Bulgaria, and yet after teaching herself English===

She was adopted at the age of 7 from Bulgaria. She never attended school? And when did she teach herself English? How did she teach herself English?

I have a feeling no one has really performed any serious opposition research our vetting on her, and she should be happy for that if that is the case.

Comment by Candy Dogood Friday, Oct 4, 24 @ 5:39 pm