Black Arizona Republican Forced to Resign After Tea Party Threats

Forer District Chairman Anthony Miller

The sole black Republican district chairman in Arizona resigned just hours after the assassination attempt on Gabrielle Giffords citing threats from Tea Party members and fear for his family’s safety.

Citing “constant verbal attacks” and other forms of intimidation District Chairman Anthony Miller resigned, along with several others active in the local party.

We have all been hearing about how the language of the Republicans and Tea Baggers isn’t really threatening…

That doesn’t hold much water when lifelong Republicans, afraid for their lives, are being blackmailed and threatened out of office.

Gabrielle Giffords’ Arizona shooting prompts resignations

Miller, a 43-year-old Ahwatukee Foothills resident and former campaign worker for U.S. Sen. John McCain, was re-elected to a second one-year term last month. He said constant verbal attacks after that election and Internet blog posts by some local members with Tea Party ties made him worry about his family’s safety.

In an e-mail sent a few hours after Saturday’s massacre in Tucson that killed six and injured 13, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Miller told state Republican Party Chairman Randy Pullen he was quitting: “Today my wife of 20 yrs ask (sic) me do I think that my PCs (Precinct Committee members) will shoot at our home? So with this being said I am stepping down from LD20GOP Chairman…I will make a full statement on Monday.”

Pullen was in Washington, D.C. and not available for comment, an employee in his office said. State party spokesman Matt Roberts said he could not discuss details of the district’s disputes but, “Anthony has been a good Republican and was really involved in LD20.”

The newly-elected Dist. 20 Republican secretary, Sophia Johnson of Ahwatukee, first vice chairman Roger Dickinson of Tempe and Jeff Kolb, the former district spokesman from Ahwatukee, also quit. “This singular focus on ‘getting’ Anthony (Miller) was one of the main reasons I chose to resign,” Kolb said in an e-mail to another party activist. Kolb confirmed the contents of the e-mail to the Republic…

Miller said when he was a member of McCain’s campaign staff last year has been criticized by the more conservative party members who supported Republican opponent J.D. Hayworth. The first and only African-American to hold the party’s precinct chairmanship, Miller said he has been called “McCain’s boy,” and during the campaign saw a critic form his hand in the shape of a gun and point it at him.

“I wasn’t going to resign but decided to quit after what happened Saturday,” Miller said. “I love the Republican Party but I don’t want to take a bullet for anyone.”