Pro-Hagan Political Fliers Use Lynching Imagery

Over the weekend congregants at Kingdom Impact Global Ministries — a predominantly African American church in Fayetteville, NC — were party to an unusual political flier on their vehicles after Sunday services. 

“Kay Hagan doesn’t win! Obama’s impeachment will begin! Vote in 2014,” the Fayetteville Observer reported the flier read. 

The encouragement to vote was accompanied by a picture of an apparent lynching, according to the report. 

Pro-Hagan flyer has a picture of a lynching. Was put on cars parked at a Fayetteville church on Sunday #ncpol #ncsen pic.twitter.com/GYfXQoAit7

— Paul Woolverton (@FO_Woolverton) October 20, 2014

At the bottom the flier noted, “Not endorsed by any candidate. Paid for by Concerned Citizens of Cumberland County.”

The fliers come weeks ahead of the midterm elections where Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) is locked in a tight battle for reelection against state House Speaker Thom Tillis, a Republican. 

Churchgoers told local outlets that the images left them unnerved.

“Truthfully, it reminded me of back in the 50s and 60s — hate mongering, intimidation, voter suppression,” one woman told the ABC affiliate in Fayetteville, WTVD.

The local chapter of the NAACP, however, saw the fliers as more politics than racist. Jimmy Buxton, President of the Fayetteville NAACP told the Observer that while he had not yet seen the fliers the impeachment argument is not racist. 

“That’s what the community feels,” he told the Observer. “That if the Senate is taken over by the Republicans, and it remains the Republicans (in the majority) in the House of Representatives, they’re going to impeach him.” 

The Hagan campaign told the paper they had nothing to do with the fliers telling the Observer “I don’t know anything about the group or flier. We don’t coordinate with outside groups.”

The director of the Cumberland County Board of Elections, Terri Robertson, told the paper that what had been described to her of the fliers sounded like voter intimidation and she plans to notify the State Board of Elections. 

According to WTVD, Fayetteville police are looking into the fliers as well.