Tensions rose during a bipartisan forum this week after an audience question about discrimination reportedly led an Idaho state senator to angrily tell a Native American candidate to "go back to where you came from." Republican Sen. Dan Foreman left the event early after the outburst and later denied making any racist comments in a .
He didn't respond to a voice message from the seeking comment. Trish Carter-Goodheart, a Democratic candidate for the House District 6 seat and member of the Nez Perce Tribe, said the blowup left her shaken and thinking about security needs for future public events. It also forced some tough conversations with her two young children who were in attendance.
"They've never seen a grown adult man have a meltdown like that. They were scared. I was scared," Carter-Goodheart said Friday.
The event was held by Democratic and Republican precinct committee members from the small Idaho town of Kendrick on Monday night, per the . It was for House and Senate candidates from the local district, including Foreman; his Democratic opponent, Julia Parker: Republican Rep. Lori McCann; and her Democratic opponent, Carter-Goodheart.
About an hour into the event, someone asked a question about a state bill addressing discrimination. The candidates were each given two minutes to answer, and when it was Carter-Goodheart's turn, she pushed back on earlier comments that suggested discrimination isn't a major issue in Idaho. She said state hate crime laws are weak and not.