By Mary Granlund, a Columbia Heights school board member

During an interview with Esme Murphy in late June, Don Samuels was asked to respond to some sexist comments he made about Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. Instead of owning up to his words and apologizing, he denied repeatedly having ever said the words in the first place. Blatantly lying is completely unbecoming of any candidate for political office. As a female elected official, these misogynistic insults are all too common and must be condemned.

The fact that Don Samuels has resorted to personal, sexist attacks in his campaign for Congress is disappointing and speaks volumes about the kind of representative Samuels would be. We have plenty of bullies currently sitting in the U.S. House, we certainly don’t need another.

In the Fifth Congressional District, we have stood with our congresswoman when Republicans like Donald Trump lobbed insults her way because we are better than that. In the Fifth Congressional District, we turned an insult into a rallying cry when we re-elected Omar and sent her back for her second term in Congress. In the Fifth Congressional District, we hold Republicans accountable for their vitriol. We should hold Democrats accountable, too.

I don’t want a bully for a representative. I don’t want someone who hurls insults when their ideas aren’t enough to earn support. I want someone kind who partakes in the politics of joy. Someone who brings people together, not someone who drives them apart. I want someone who will make a difference for everyone in the Fifth Congressional District. I want someone like Ilhan Omar.