John Huffman, the mayor of Southlake, Texas, who said he would want to advance programs that furthered diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), now portrays himself as an anti-woke warrior.
Huffman hopes to replace the retiring Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX), who represents Texas’s 26th congressional district, which covers portions of Denton, Wise, Cooke, and Tarrant counties.
Huffman hopes to represent the ruby red 26th district; Burgess won reelection in 2022 by more than 39 percent.
“On Thursday, we were asked about cultural Marxism and DEI…Here’s what I said. You remember the fight we won in Southlake? Let’s do that across the whole federal government,” Huffman wrote earlier in January.
On Thursday we were asked about cultural Marxism and DEI….
— Mayor John Huffman (@JohnRHuffman) January 8, 2024
Here’s what I said.
You remember the fight we won in Southlake?
Let’s do that across the whole federal government. pic.twitter.com/wv9LUnTXda
However, despite his self-portrayal as a “proven conservative Republican” and a “champion against radical, leftist ideology and indoctrination,” his tone as a council member is much different now that he is running for Congress.
Under the headline “Our Campaign Against Radical, Leftist Ideology and Indoctrination,” his campaign website reads:
When radical Leftists worked to take over the Southlake Carroll ISD and force indoctrination on kids and families, John stood tall, fought back, and helped defeat their Marxist programs from taking hold in North Texas. Relentlessly attacked by national media and threatened by a weaponized federal government, John refused to back down because he knew the future of our children and our freedoms were at stake. In 2020, as a founding donor of Southlake Families, he helped support conservative candidates for school board who defeated the Leftists and removed radical faculty and administrators from their positions. This effort became the model for other communities to follow to stop radical and destructive indoctrination in American public schools.
“Racism is real; it’s around us, and sweeping it under the rug is not going to help,” Huffman said in 2018 after an incident where students reportedly chanted a racial slur.
In a June 2020 article, Huffman appears to be seen with then-Southlake Mayor Laura Hill (R) speaking at a pavilion at Southlake Town Square during a rally for “racial justice.” The Apple Store and William Sonoma stores in Southlake were boarded up ahead of the Black Lives Matter protest. Social media comments suggested that trouble could occur at the protest.Hundreds gathered at the time in Southlake to protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
In 2021, in answering a candidate question and answer forum, he said that he supported former Mayor Hill’s Alliance for Unity and Culture and wanted to continue its “good work” as mayor.
The Alliance for Unity and Culture was reportedly created by the mayor and city council, which would include Huffman, to advance programs and activities furthering “diversity, inclusion, and equality.”
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.
