Stacey Dash Quits Congressional Race: ‘There Were Many Threats Against Her’
“Clueless” star Stacey Dash dropped out of the congressional race for California’s 44th district, saying being a politician would be “detrimental to the health and well-being of my family.”
Dash, who was running as a Republican, has been viciously attacked on social media after announcing her congressional bid last month. Insiders told the Hollywood Reporter that Dash feared for her safety, as well as that of her family.
“There were too many threats against her and her family. It was overwhelming.”
In her own statement, Dash cited the “bitterness surrounding our political process” as a key reason for her decision to withdraw.
“I believe that the overall bitterness surrounding our political process, participating in the rigors of campaigning, and holding elected office would be detrimental to the health and well-being of my family,” she revealed on Twitter. “I would never want to betray the personal and spiritual principles I believe in most: that my God and my family come first.”
Dash, an outspoken conservative, said she will continue to speak out on issues, saying her goal remains to “improve the lives of people who have been forgotten for decades by the Democratic Party.”
Dash rose to fame for her role as Dionne in the hit 1995 comedy “Clueless.” Stacey was previously a Democrat who had voted for President Barack Obama in 2008 but switched parties in 2012, saying she was disappointed by what she considered his ineffective leadership and divisive identity politics.
“I think he bamboozled us,” Dash said at the 2016 Conservative Political Action Conference. “We all voted for him because we believed, ‘It’s time to have a black president. He is going to unite us in a very profound way.’ And what did he do? The exact opposite!”
I have released this statement on my campaign. It’s not an easy one. pic.twitter.com/HvKuUad48F
— Stacey DASH (@staceydash) March 30, 2018
Stacey has since raised eyebrows for her fiery political rhetoric. In 2016, she came under fire after saying we should get rid of Black History Month, the BET channel, and the NAACP Awards because they only sow more racial division in the country.
“We have to make up our minds,” Dash said. “Either we want to have segregation or integration. And if we don’t want segregation, then we have to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Awards and the Image Awards, where you’re only awarded if you’re black.”
She added: “If it were the other way around, we would be up in arms. It’s a double standard. There shouldn’t be a black history month. We’re Americans, period.”
Less than a year later, Stacey Dash was fired as a contributor from Fox News, where she had appeared since 2014.
