Republicans Band Together In Denouncing 'Neo-Nazi' Art Jones

CHICAGO, IL — Illinois Republicans hoping for an Art Jones-free election cycle gathered at the Thompson Center on Thursday to denounce the self-avowed neo-Nazi and endorse Will County Commissioner Mike Fricilone, who are both running in the upcoming 3rd Congressional District GOP primary.

After botching recruiting a candidate in 2018 to run against the holocaust-denying Jones in the congressional Republican primary, Illinois’s GOP made sure there was a “real Republican” running in the March 17 primary. Known to organize family-friendly birthday parties for Adolph Hitler, Jones recently told the League of Women Voters that he’d “rather go to Antarctica” than on a junket to Israel if elected to congress.

This is perennial candidate Jones’ fifth run for congress. Jones has called the German holocaust of World War II the "blackest lie in history" and "a fairy tale." The former president of the American Nazi Party, Jones has denied his neo-Nazi past and, in fact, says he's proud of it, including his minor street skirmishes with leftists.

>>> We Don't Like Nazis — That's Why We Keep Writing About Art Jones

In 2018, as the sole Republican running against Congressman Dan Lipinski, Jones garnered an astonishing 56,649 votes in the IL-03 race. Many voters complained afterward they didn’t know of Jones’ checkered past. This time, the Illinois GOP wants all Republican primary voters to know that Jones is a neo-Nazi and not to vote for him.

“The Illinois Republican Party is disgusted and appalled that Arthur Jones would try to associate himself and his evil ideas with the Republican Party,” Illinois GOP Chairman Tim Schneider said at Thursday’s press conference. “That’s why we are using precious resources to send mail and digital advertising to Republicans throughout the district to make sure he is defeated on March 17. The entire Illinois GOP stands in opposition to Arthur Jones.”

Illinois Republican Party bylaws preclude party members from getting involved in primary elections, preferring to let grassroots Republicans decide their general election nominees, according to a party news release. This time, executive committee members of the state Republicans central committee unanimously voted to endorse Fricilone and “go to unprecedented lengths to defeat Arthur Jones.”

“I am proud to stand behind and support Mike Fricilone for Congress in the 3rd congressional district. Mike is a respected conservative on the Will County Board, and he supports our president,” Schneider said. “Most importantly, Mike is a proud Republican. Arthur Jones is not. He is a self-proclaimed Neo-Nazi and Holocaust denier. There’s no place in our party for people like Arthur Jones.”

The Cook County and Will County Republican parties are also backing Fricilone and denouncing Jones’ candidacy. Schneider was joined at Thursday’s press conference by Cook County Republican Party Chairman Sean Morrison and Will County Republican Party Chairman George Pearson, who talked about their local grassroots organizing efforts to elect Fricilone and defeat Arthur Jones.

Jones has told Patch he thinks Fricilone and Oak Lawn-resident Cathy O’Shea, who is also on the IL-03 primary ballot, are “shills” sent by the Illinois Republican Party.

"An Irish girl or woman [O'Shea] decides to run for Congress and the primary is on St. Patrick's Day — that to me is a put-up job," Jones said.

O’Shea says she is reformed, former Democrat who now supports President Donald Trump.

“Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day,” O’Shea said, “and I have no ties to [Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan].”

Digital social media ads distributed by the Illinois GOP.