martha mcsally

Arizona Senator Martha McSally Wants You To Skip Meals To Fund Her Campaign

Starving for McSally 2020.
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Arizona Senator Martha McSally made an egregious request of her supporters by suggesting that they fast for a meal and donate the money to her campaign. CBS affiliate KPHO-TV obtained audio recording of a recent meeting where McSally said, “We’re doing our part to catch up, you know, to get our message out. But it takes resources, … So, anybody can give, I’m not ashamed to ask, to invest. If you can give one dollar, five dollars, if you can fast a meal and give what that would be.”

McSally, the republican incumbent, is currently polling five points behind the democratic challenger, former astronaut Mark Kelly. Kelly is a noted gun control advocate and the husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords, who survived getting shot in a mass shooting in Tuscon in 2011. McSally ran for senate in 2018 and lost to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema. However, she was appointed to the Senate by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to fill the vacant seat left by the death of John McCain (replacing Sen. John Kyl who briefly filled the gap.)

Asking supporters to skip a meal to fund her re-election campaign is an egregious ask on the best of days, but to do so during a pandemic and economic crisis is bizarrely out of touch with America’s current reality. It’s especially galling that McSally is asking this of supporters when she’s repeatedly voted for tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy.

McSally campaign spokesperson Caroline Anderegg shrugged off the statement saying, “This is a dumb non-story about a candidate making a joke on the stump,” but people were quick to lambast the senator on social media. The hashtag #marthasmeal began trending, with people posting food emojis and images of food in defiance of her request.

(via The Hill, image: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.