County Exec. Candidate Responds to Racial Comments Posted on Opponent’s Facebook
WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. — In an exclusive interview with WMDT, candidate for Wicomico County Executive, Ernest Davis responds to racist comments about him posted by another individual on current County Executive Julie Giordano’s Facebook page.
WMDT previously reported on the comments, which prompted responses from Davis, his supporter Rev. Lewis N. Watson, and Giordano.
Watson, who stood alongside Davis, criticized the use of racial slurs in political discussions.
“It’s a racial slur. You can disagree without being disagreeable. We need someone who can articulate, and if you don’t agree with something, at least we can come to the table and reason,” Watson said.
Watson also spoke about the importance of maintaining respectful political discourse during the county executive race.
“We need a bipartisan community. We need a community that’s united and not one that’s divisive. Just because people run against you does not give you the right to name-call,” Watson said. “He is a man.”
In response, Giordano said she does not condone the comments and confirmed that she spoke with the individual who posted them. She said the comments were deleted and that she asked the individual not to post similar content on her page.
“The comment has been deleted. I’ve actually had a talk with that specific person and asked him not to post those types of things on my page, because it does just cause issues and it doesn’t reflect our values or how, you know, how I feel about anybody,” Giordano said.
Giordano also addressed Davis’ suggestion that the presence of the comments reflected her support for them, saying posts made by other people do not necessarily represent the views of a page owner.
“Unfortunately, we can’t control what people post on Facebook. I have a little bit more control over my personal Facebook, but I’m sure you both have seen criticisms on your pages. They don’t reflect your views. Just like that does not reflect my view,” Giordano said.
Giordano characterized the criticism as political ammunition and said she believed the situation was being used for political purposes.
In an exclusive interview with WMDT, Davis discussed how the comments remaining up for a period of time affected his perception of Giordano’s response.
“That made me feel that she supports it. If she knew it was on a page, she could have took it down. If I saw something on my page, I would make sure it came down immediately,” Davis said. “I’m not campaigning like that. You don’t see no racial slurs, no derogatory comments towards her.”
Davis also discussed his priorities for the campaign, pointing to his familiarity with the community and the needs of its residents.
“I’ve been here all my life. I know what people want, what they need, and I know what makes people happy here,” Davis said.
