A Maine Republican has dropped out of the race for state House after his "skinhead lesbian" slur about a Parkland survivor drew widespread criticism.
Leslie Gibson came under fire after insulting Emma Gonzalez and fellow classmate and mass shooting survivor David Hogg on Twitter last week. On Friday, he announced intentions to abandon efforts to win a state House seat this year, according to The Portland Press Herald.
"I am not walking away with my head hung low. I am walking away with my head held high," Gibson said in a statement.
Gibson said he arrived at the decision after discussing it carefully with friends and family, calling it "the best thing for everybody."
In one of his controversial tweets directed at Gonzalez, the 18-year-old student activist who survived the recent Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that left 17 dead, Gibson said: there was "nothing about this skinhead lesbian that impresses me and there is nothing that she has to say unless you're frothing at the mouth."
He also attacked Hogg, calling him a "bald-faced liar" in response to a comment the teen made about NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch owning congressmen.
The posts were deactivated, and Gibson, who was initially running unopposed in the Maine state House race, later released an official apology, but widespread backlash ensued.
Several Maine Democrats put forth a call for Gibson to end his campaign and prompted two opponents to enter the race for Maine's 57th district, CNN noted.
Democrat Eryn Gilchrist decided to oppose Gibson after reading his comments on social media.
"I never thought I would run for office, and I was perfectly content with just remaining a member of the community, but after reading Mr. Gibson's comments I thought that the people of Greene and Sabattus deserved a representative who will respect people and try to work through their differences to make our lives better," she said in a statement.
Republican candidate Thomas Martin Jr. also stepped in to challenge Gibson, saying he could not sit back and do nothing.
"There's enough division in our state and country," he said, per the Portland Press Herald.
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