Kathy Barnette

{{Infobox politician

|name = Kathy Barnette

|image = Kathy Barnette by Gage Skidmore.jpg

| caption = Barnette in 2024

|birth_name = Kathy Jean Barnette

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|9|6}}

|birth_place = Alabama, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Republican

|spouse = Carl{{cite news |last=Tully |first=Tracey |title=In Pennsylvania, a Hard-Right Candidate's Star Rises |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/13/us/elections/kathy-barnette-pennsylvania-senate.html |access-date=May 18, 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=May 13, 2022 |archive-date=May 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518003617/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/13/us/elections/kathy-barnette-pennsylvania-senate.html |url-status=live}}

|children = 2

|education = {{ubl|Troy State University (BS)|Fontbonne University (MBA)}}

|allegiance = United States

|branch = United States Army

|rank = Specialist

|unit = United States Army Reserve
National Guard

}}

Kathy Jean Barnette (born September 6, 1971) is an American politician and political commentator. A member of the Republican Party, she ran for the United States House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district in 2020, and unsuccessfully sought the party's nomination in the 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania.{{Cite web |last=WFMZ-TV |date=April 7, 2021 |title=Kathy Barnette enters race for US Senate in Pennsylvania |url=https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/pennsylvania/kathy-barnette-enters-race-for-us-senate-in-pennsylvania/article_9192038e-97c0-11eb-a2ae-8f050714a62d.html |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=WFMZ.com |language=en |archive-date=May 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220513193918/https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/pennsylvania/kathy-barnette-enters-race-for-us-senate-in-pennsylvania/article_9192038e-97c0-11eb-a2ae-8f050714a62d.html |url-status=live }}

Early life

Barnette's mother was raped at the age of 11 by a 21-year-old man. Her mother became pregnant as a result of the rape, which led to Barnette's birth on September 6, 1971, in Alabama.{{Cite news|last1=Merica|first1=Dan|last2=Orr|first2=Gabby|date=May 13, 2022|title=Barnette's quick rise has Republicans reeling over potential upset and what it could mean for November|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/13/politics/kathy-barnette-pennsylvania-senate-primary/index.html|access-date=May 17, 2022|website=CNN|archive-date=May 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516235734/https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/13/politics/kathy-barnette-pennsylvania-senate-primary/index.html|url-status=live}} She was raised by her mother on a pig farm in a house in South Alabama where her great-great-great-grandmother, who was born a slave, formerly lived.{{Cite web |last=Seidman |first=Andrew |date=July 26, 2021 |title=Inside a hunt for voter fraud on Philly's Main Line and the conspiracy world that embraced it |url=https://www.inquirer.com/news/a/pennsylvania-voter-fraud-audit-kathy-barnette-20210726.html |access-date=May 19, 2022 |website=The Philadelphia Inquirer |language=en |archive-date=July 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726170915/https://www.inquirer.com/news/a/pennsylvania-voter-fraud-audit-kathy-barnette-20210726.html |url-status=live }}

She received an undergraduate degree in finance from Troy State University, and an M.B.A. from Fontbonne University.{{cite news|last=Kassal|first=Matthew|title=Kathy Barnette presents a different side|url=https://jewishinsider.com/2022/05/kathy-barnette-presents-a-different-side/|work=Jewish Insider|date=May 16, 2022|access-date=May 18, 2022|archive-date=May 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518001948/https://jewishinsider.com/2022/05/kathy-barnette-presents-a-different-side/|url-status=live}} Barnette served seven years in the United States Army Reserve and United States National Guard.

Professional career

Barnette worked as a corporate financial analyst.{{Cite web |last=Burnley |first=Malcolm |date=October 31, 2020 |title=The Loneliness of the Black Female Republican |url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/10/31/kathy-barnette-loneliness-black-female-republican-433344 |access-date=May 17, 2022 |website=POLITICO |language=en |archive-date=May 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518021358/https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/10/31/kathy-barnette-loneliness-black-female-republican-433344 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Bio |url=https://barnetteforsenate.com/bio/ |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=Kathy Barnette |language=en-US |archive-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516022726/https://barnetteforsenate.com/bio/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Mayorquin |first=Orlando |date=May 13, 2022 |title=Who is Kathy Barnette? The GOP candidate surging late in Pennsylvania Senate race |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/13/who-kathy-barnette-senate-candidate-pennsylvania/9766567002/ |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US |archive-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516014307/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/13/who-kathy-barnette-senate-candidate-pennsylvania/9766567002/ |url-status=live }} Barnette's entry into political commentary began with political videos on Facebook. The videos led her to becoming an occasional guest on Fox & Friends. She also became a regular commentator on Philadelphia conservative radio. Barnette has made frequent appearances on One America News Network and Newsmax as well.

Political career

Barnette entered politics by running for Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district in the 2020 election. She was unopposed in the Republican primary. She lost the general election to incumbent Madeleine Dean and initially refused to concede. While later saying she had accepted the results of the election, Barnette continued to raise doubts about her own election and the wider 2020 presidential election.{{Cite web|last=Heinze|first=Justin|date=November 4, 2020|title=Barnette Doesn't Concede To Dean: 'The Enemy Will Be Thwarted'|url=https://patch.com/pennsylvania/abington/barnette-doesnt-concede-dean-enemy-will-be-thwarted|access-date=May 16, 2022|website=Abington, PA Patch|language=en|archive-date=May 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515152206/https://patch.com/pennsylvania/abington/barnette-doesnt-concede-dean-enemy-will-be-thwarted|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Doherty |first=Erin |date=May 12, 2022 |title=What to know about the GOP Senate candidate who Trump has warned against |url=https://www.axios.com/2022/05/12/kathy-barnette-pennsylvania-republican-senate |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=Axios |language=en |archive-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516233523/https://www.axios.com/2022/05/12/kathy-barnette-pennsylvania-republican-senate |url-status=live }}{{cite AV media |people=Dennis Owens, Lisa Sylvester, Jeff Bartos, Mehmet Oz, David McCormick, Kathy Barnette, Carla Sands |date=April 25, 2022 |title=Pennsylvania Republican Primary Senate Debate |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYUPDEw4yY8 |access-date=November 20, 2022 |time=26:04-26:43, 33:02-33:39, 34:52-35:16 |publisher=WHTM-TV |archive-date=November 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120135956/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYUPDEw4yY8 |url-status=live }}

File:Kathy Barnette headshot (cropped).jpg

On Election Day, Barnette filed a lawsuit against Montgomery County election officials claiming that the county violated state laws on pre-canvassing ballots prior to the opening of polls by notifying voters of potential problems with their mail-in ballots. Her attorneys then withdrew the lawsuit.{{Cite web |last=Ullery |first=Chris |date=November 5, 2020 |title=Barnette withdraws lawsuit against Montgomery County election officials |url=https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/story/news/2020/11/05/barnette-withdraws-mail-ballot-lawsuit-montgomery-county-election/6176910002/ |access-date=May 19, 2022 |website=Bucks County Courier Times |language=en-US |archive-date=June 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630071932/https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/story/news/2020/11/05/barnette-withdraws-mail-ballot-lawsuit-montgomery-county-election/6176910002/ |url-status=live }}

Barnette had a close relationship with My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell for a time. Lindell said of Barnette in June 2021, "She is just an amazing person" and "I never heard of anyone being so tenacious."

Barnette announced she would run to fill retiring Senator Pat Toomey's seat in early April 2021, and received endorsements from Michael Flynn and Sebastian Gorka.{{Cite web |last=Barnette |first=Kathy |date=April 5, 2021 |title=Kathy Barnette for US Senate - YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U06_u4nZCI&ab_channel=KathyBarnetteforSenate |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=www.youtube.com |archive-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516233523/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U06_u4nZCI&ab_channel=KathyBarnetteforSenate |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Gorka |first=Sebastian |date=April 6, 2021 |title=Sebastian Gorka Tweet |url=https://twitter.com/SebGorka/status/1379461448204750850 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406155050/https://twitter.com/SebGorka/status/1379461448204750850 |archive-date=April 6, 2021 |website=Twitter}} She raised about $600,000 by June 30, 2021, more than Sean Parnell or Jeff Bartos, the front runners at the time. She surged in the polls in late March 2022 and started receiving significant attention from news outlets in May.

Barnette began to receive scrutiny over past tweets she had made, including some spreading the conspiracy theory that former President Barack Obama is a Muslim, and others that have been described as homophobic and Islamophobic. In a 2015 YouTube video, Barnette said that it is okay to discriminate against Muslims and compared rejecting Islam to "rejecting Hitler's or Stalin's worldviews." In comments on her radio show, she said that accepting homosexuality would lead to accepting pedophilia and incest. In one post, she called a transgender person "deformed" and "demonic".

{{Cite web |last1=Kaczynski |first1=Andrew |last2=Steck |first2=Em |date=May 13, 2022 |title=Surging GOP candidate Kathy Barnette has long history of bigoted statements against gays and Muslims |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/12/politics/kfile-kathy-barnette-bigoted-statements/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517193429/https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/12/politics/kfile-kathy-barnette-bigoted-statements/index.html |archive-date=May 17, 2022 |access-date=May 17, 2022 |website=CNN}}
{{Cite web |last=Garcia |first=Eric |date=May 17, 2022 |title=Who is Kathy Barnette, the Black woman running for Pennsylvania Senate? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/kathy-barnette-republican-senate-pennsylvania-b2081173.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517195432/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/kathy-barnette-republican-senate-pennsylvania-b2081173.html |archive-date=May 17, 2022 |access-date=May 17, 2022 |website=The Independent}}
{{Cite web |last=Newell |first=Jim |date=May 14, 2022 |title=The New "Ultra-MAGA" Contender in Pennsylvania's Senate Primary |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/05/kathy-barnette-is-surging-in-pennsylvanias-republican-primary.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517195736/https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/05/kathy-barnette-is-surging-in-pennsylvanias-republican-primary.html |archive-date=May 17, 2022 |access-date=May 17, 2022 |website=Slate}}
{{Cite web |last=Walsh |first=Sean Collins |date=May 15, 2022 |title=Kathy Barnette says tweets under scrutiny in Pa. Senate race were 'not even full thoughts' |url=https://www.inquirer.com/politics/republican-kathy-barnette-social-media-islam-us-senate-pennsylvania-20220515.html |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=The Philadelphia Inquirer |language=en |archive-date=May 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515163832/https://www.inquirer.com/politics/republican-kathy-barnette-social-media-islam-us-senate-pennsylvania-20220515.html |url-status=live }}
{{Cite news |last=Paybarah |first=Azi |date=May 15, 2022 |title=Kathy Barnette Says She 'Can't Provide a Lot of Context' for Her Anti-Islamic Tweets |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/15/us/politics/kathy-barnette-islam-tweets.html |access-date=May 16, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=May 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515233340/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/15/us/politics/kathy-barnette-islam-tweets.html |url-status=live }}
{{Cite web |date=May 13, 2022 |title=Kathy Barnette on past Islamophobic tweets: 'I would never have said that' |url=https://www.msnbc.com/mtp-daily/watch/kathy-barnette-on-past-islamophobic-tweets-i-would-never-have-said-that-139954757725 |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=MSNBC.com |language=en |archive-date=May 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515100414/https://www.msnbc.com/mtp-daily/watch/kathy-barnette-on-past-islamophobic-tweets-i-would-never-have-said-that-139954757725 |url-status=live }}
{{Cite web |last=Joseph |first=Cameron |date=May 16, 2022 |title=Conspiracy Theorists Are on the Cusp of Sweeping Pennsylvania's GOP Primaries |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkpjp9/pennsylvania-republican-primaries-doug-mastriano-kathy-barnette |website=www.vice.com |access-date=May 17, 2022 |archive-date=May 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517201812/https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkpjp9/pennsylvania-republican-primaries-doug-mastriano-kathy-barnette |url-status=live }}

On May 15, 2022, images surfaced showing that Barnette had participated in the "Stop the Steal" rally that preceded the 2021 United States Capitol insurrection; though her campaign has denied participating in any acts of violence, she has stated that she "brought" three buses of "pissed off patriots" to the rally.

{{Cite web |author=Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck |date=May 16, 2022 |title=Barnette said she was leading buses to DC for 'our 1776 moment' on January 6, 2021 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/16/politics/kathy-barnette-1776-moment-january-6-kfile/index.html |website=CNN |access-date=May 17, 2022 |archive-date=May 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517210755/https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/16/politics/kathy-barnette-1776-moment-january-6-kfile/index.html |url-status=live }}
{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Christopher |date=May 16, 2022 |title=Photos show GOP Senate candidate Kathy Barnette marching with Proud Boys on Jan. 6 |url=https://news.yahoo.com/photos-show-gop-senate-candidate-kathy-banette-marching-with-proud-boys-on-jan-6-163000524.html |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=news.yahoo.com |language=en-US |archive-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516164024/https://news.yahoo.com/photos-show-gop-senate-candidate-kathy-banette-marching-with-proud-boys-on-jan-6-163000524.html |url-status=live }}
{{Cite news |last=Ax |first=Joseph |date=May 16, 2022 |title=Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Barnette marched alongside Proud Boys on Jan. 6, report says |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republican-us-senate-hopeful-barnette-marched-alongside-proud-boys-jan-6-report-2022-05-16/ |access-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516172304/https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republican-us-senate-hopeful-barnette-marched-alongside-proud-boys-jan-6-report-2022-05-16/ |url-status=live }}
{{Cite web |last=Metzger |first=Bryan |date=May 16, 2022 |title=GOP congressman who's been subpoenaed by the January 6 committee is backing Kathy Barnette, a PA Senate candidate who marched with Proud Boys in DC |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/freedom-caucus-scott-perry-kathy-barnette-pennsylvania-senate-january-6-2022-5 |website=Business Insider |access-date=May 17, 2022 |archive-date=May 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517200751/https://www.businessinsider.com/freedom-caucus-scott-perry-kathy-barnette-pennsylvania-senate-january-6-2022-5 |url-status=live }}
{{Cite web |date=May 15, 2022 |title=Kathy Barnette shakes up US Senate race on back of abortion debate |url=https://www.ft.com/content/995c1d44-dad5-4b6a-afcc-800ba33f79e0 |website=Financial Times |access-date=May 17, 2022 |archive-date=May 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517201124/https://www.ft.com/content/995c1d44-dad5-4b6a-afcc-800ba33f79e0 |url-status=live }}

Barnette finished third in the 2022 primary, behind Mehmet Oz and David McCormick, a loss she blamed on comments made by Fox News host Sean Hannity.{{cite news |last1=Itkowitz |first1=Colby |title=Trump urges Oz to 'declare victory' before vote tally complete in Pa. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/18/oz-mccormick-trump-pennsylvania/ |access-date=May 19, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 18, 2022 |archive-date=May 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518153016/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/18/oz-mccormick-trump-pennsylvania/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Lonas |first=Lexi |date=May 18, 2022 |title=Barnette blames Sean Hannity for loss in Pennsylvania |url=https://thehill.com/news/campaign/3493158-barnette-blames-sean-hannity-for-loss-in-pennsylvania/ |access-date=May 24, 2022 |website=The Hill |language=en-US |archive-date=May 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220524090239/https://thehill.com/news/campaign/3493158-barnette-blames-sean-hannity-for-loss-in-pennsylvania/ |url-status=live }} In October 2022, she stated that she would vote for Oz in the election, but declined to endorse him.{{cite news|last=Brennan|first=Chris|url=https://www.inquirer.com/politics/clout/mehmet-oz-john-fetterman-kathy-barnette-senate-josh-shapiro-doug-mastriano-governor-20221014.html|title=Kathy Barnette slams GOP 'elites,' calls Mehmet Oz 'lesser of two evils,' will vote for him|work=Inquirer|date=October 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014114337/https://www.inquirer.com/politics/clout/mehmet-oz-john-fetterman-kathy-barnette-senate-josh-shapiro-doug-mastriano-governor-20221014.html|archive-date=October 14, 2022}}

Barnette announced she would not run for the Senate again in 2024.{{cite news |last1=Lippman |first1=Daniel | last2=Otterbein |first2=Holly |title=MAGA favorite Kathy Barnette says she won't run again for Senate |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/15/kathy-barnette-no-senate-run-00087179 |access-date=May 26, 2023 |newspaper=Politico |date=March 15, 2023 }}{{cite news |last1=Stockburger |first1=George |title=Kathy Barnette not running for Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate seat: Report |url=https://www.abc27.com/pennsylvania-politics/kathy-barnette-not-running-for-pennsylvanias-u-s-senate-seat-report/ |access-date=May 26, 2023 |newspaper=abc27 |date=March 15, 2023 |archive-date=May 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526134301/https://www.abc27.com/pennsylvania-politics/kathy-barnette-not-running-for-pennsylvanias-u-s-senate-seat-report/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |last1=King |first1=Ryan |title=Kathy Barnette bows out of 2024 Pennsylvania Senate consideration: 'I am not interested' |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/kathy-barnette-bows-out-2024-pennsylvania-senate-run |access-date=May 26, 2023 |newspaper=Washington Examiner |date=March 15, 2023 }} As of 2023, she was involved in Vivek Ramaswamy's presidential campaign.{{cite web |last1=Catanese |first1=David |title='We should talk.' How Kathy Barnette came to advise Vivek Ramaswamy's presidential campaign |work=McClatchy DC|url=https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article278125397.html |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=August 11, 2023}}

= Political positions =

According to The Tennessee Star, in 2022 Barnette ran "on a platform emphasizing free-market health care, border security, school choice, domestic energy production, tax reform, and protection of the unborn."{{cite news |last1=Vasoli |first1=Bradley |title=Pennsylvania Senate Candidate Barnette's Wikipedia Article Pulled |url=https://tennesseestar.com/2022/05/12/pennsylvania-senate-candidate-barnettes-wikipedia-article-pulled/ |access-date=May 18, 2022 |work=The Tennessee Star |date=May 12, 2022 |archive-date=May 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512054822/https://tennesseestar.com/2022/05/12/pennsylvania-senate-candidate-barnettes-wikipedia-article-pulled/ |url-status=live }}

Barnette is opposed to abortion, including in cases of rape and incest, citing her own life as "the product of a rape" as inspiration.{{cite magazine |last1=Alter |first1=Charlotte |date=May 16, 2022 |title=Kathy Barnette Is the Trumpiest Candidate Who Wasn't Endorsed by Trump |url=https://time.com/6177232/kathy-barnette-pennsylvania-senate-republican-primary/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517223546/https://time.com/6177232/kathy-barnette-pennsylvania-senate-republican-primary/ |archive-date=May 17, 2022 |access-date=May 18, 2022 |magazine=Time |language=en}}

Electoral history

{{Election box begin no change|title=Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district, 2020{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=2020 Presidential Election - Representative in Congress |url=https://www.electionreturns.pa.gov/General/OfficeResults?OfficeID=11&ElectionID=undefined&ElectionType=undefined&IsActive=undefined |access-date=January 25, 2021 |website=Pennsylvania Department of State |archive-date=March 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304001900/https://www.electionreturns.pa.gov/General/OfficeResults?OfficeID=11&ElectionID=undefined&ElectionType=undefined&IsActive=undefined |url-status=live }}

}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Madeleine Dean (incumbent)|votes=264,637|percentage=59.5}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate=Kathy Barnette|votes=179,926|percentage=40.5}}{{Election box total no change|votes=444,563|percentage=100.0}}{{Election box hold with party link no change|winner=Democratic Party (United States)}}{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change |title=Republican Senate primary results, 2022{{cite news |title=Pennsylvania Primary Election Results |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/05/17/us/elections/results-pennsylvania.html |access-date=June 3, 2022 |work=New York Times |date=June 3, 2022 |archive-date=June 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220604063655/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/05/17/us/elections/results-pennsylvania.html |url-status=live }}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change