Two weeks ago, Peter reported that Michael Peroutka, a Southern secessionist and head of the Christian Nationalist group Institute on the Constitution, was narrowly leading in the GOP primary for a seat on the Anne Arundel County, Maryland, county council. Now, after all the ballots have been counted, Peroutka appears to have come out on top of the five-way primary in his heavily Republican district, besting his closest competitor by a mere 38 votes.
In an editorial today, the Annapolis Capital Gazette notes that by nominating Peroutka, GOP voters in the district “have definitely gotten their party into a pickle.”
“Peroutka told voters the truth when he stressed that he was against taxes and stormwater fees,” the Capital Gazette writes. “He didn’t stress that he’s also a theocrat and secessionist who thinks it would be great if local officials refused to uphold state laws.”
Peroutka has certainly indicated that his national political activism will inform how he governs at the local level.
He recently presented his theory that the Maryland General Assembly is “no longer a valid legislative body” because it passed laws that he deems to be violations of “God’s law,” including a marriage equality bill and a stormwater tax. Last year, he said that state and local prosecutors should just ignore Roe v. Wade and prosecute women who have abortions or their providers for murder.
Peroutka’s spokesman told the Capital Gazette yesterday that the candidate “would evaluate each piece of legislation to be sure it was authorized by God in the Bible, the U.S. Constitution and the Anne Arundel County Charter” and would look into privatizing road repairs and the fire department.
In the general election, Peroutka will be running against Democrat Patrick Armstrong, who handily beat Peroutka’s Institute on the Constitution sidekick David Whitney in the primary.
