Gay state senator in New Mexico flees home after threatening phone calls

New Mexico State Senator Jacob Candelaria
(Photo: @jacobcandelaria | Instagram)

Jacob Candelaria, an openly-gay, New Mexico state senator living in Albuquerque, has fled the city, along with his husband, after receiving hate-filled voice messages threatening to get him out, “one way or another.”

Candelaria says he doesn’t feel safe and is horrified by how authorities do not appear to be taking the threats seriously.

Candelaria is an attorney and has served as a Democratic state senator for New Mexico’s 26th District since 2012. He took part in a TV news report on Saturday in which he criticized people for gathering without face masks at a protest outside the State Capitol.

He subsequently received a series of threatening voice messages from around 10 pm Saturday onwards. Candelaria, who is of Mexican heritage, posted a couple of clips to Twitter.

In one, a caller says, “You don’t even know what it means to be American. You’re one stupid motherfucker and we’re going to get you out, one way or another. Fuck you.”

In another, a caller used homophobic slurs, calling Candelaria a “dick-sucking, piece of shit, Democrat.”

Related: CA Sen. Scott Wiener is getting right-wing death threats over new LGBTQ equality bill

Candelaria and his husband were shocked and alarmed by the calls, particularly in light of the recent arrest of men who had plotted to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. However, after contacting the police at around 2 am Sunday, Candelaria says he and his husband had to wait 13 hours for law enforcement officers to show up.

They say the state police questioned whether the calls could be taken as a threat.

“The state police came to my house 13 hours later,” said Candelaria on Twitter. “I played these tapes, their response was to yell and my husband and I for being upset. When I asked if they thought this was a threat, they said ‘meh, depends how you hear it.’”

Candelaria says the phone number of one of the callers was…

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