Repeat Self-Avowed Nazi Candidate Art Jones Annoys Illinois GOP

ILLINOIS — Art Jones, the snookering, Holocaust-denying, Jew-hating, self-avowed Nazi is making another bid for the Republican nomination in Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District. Jones filed his petitions at 8:32 a.m. Monday, the deadline for candidates to file to run in the 2020 primary election. Those hoping for an Art Jones-free election cycle are now lining up — again — to challenge Jones’ petitions and get him tossed off the ballot.

The former president of the American Nazi Party and part-time Lyons insurance broker has called the Holocaust of World War II — in which 6 million Jews were exterminated — the “blackest lie in history” and "a fairy tale." He hasn’t denied his Nazi past and, in fact, says he’s proud of it, including his minor street skirmishes with leftists. Jones says he supports President Donald Trump but doesn’t care for Trump’s "punk" Jewish son-in-law and senior White House adviser, Jared Kushner.

“We challenge Art Jones every time he runs,” said Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison, who chairs the Cook County Republican Party. “This is history repeating itself. We’re going to have to waste time and resources to knock him off. I don’t like talking bad about people, but this is a bad guy.”

Known to organize family friendly birthday parties for Adolph Hitler, this is perennial candidate Jones’ fifth bid for Congress. In the past, he has run as both a Republican and Democrat for mayor of Milwaukee and Chicago, as well as the Illinois General Assembly. In 2016, Jones set out to run for the U.S. Senate Republican nomination against then-Sen. Mark Kirk. Midway, Jones shifted gears when another candidate joined the fray, but not before he spent $1,000 out of pocket on car magnets.

Jones turned his attention to the more-familiar Illinois 3rd Congressional District seat against Rep. Dan Lipinski, who was running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Jones was officially removed from the 2016 ballot for “flagrant disregard of the election code,” allegedly submitting photocopied signatures he had gathered from his abandoned senatorial run.

Two years later, Jones' filing documents were in order, although many who signed his petitions claimed they were unaware of Jones' checkered Nazi past. Jones claims he “snookered” his way on to the 2018 ballot as the lone Republican candidate when the Illinois GOP blew an opportunity to run a candidate against the socially conservative Lipinski. Jones captured 26 percent of the vote, attributed largely to an uninformed electorate and hardcore Republican voters.

As of Tuesday, eight people had requested Jones’ petitions. Among them were Lipinski’s political director and Summit Village Manager Jerry Hurkes.

John Fogarty Jr., a Chicago attorney and general counsel for the Illinois Republican Party, is also scrutinizing Jones’ filing documents. Fogarty put together the legal challenge that got Jones bounced off the ballot in 2016. Fogarty claims that no one locally was aware that Jones was circulating petitions until he filed on Monday, even though Jones was reportedly spotted going door to door in Chicago Ridge a few weeks ago gathering signatures.

“We reject this guy, he’s not a Republican, and we’re going to do what we can to see that he doesn’t show up on the ballot,” Fogarty said. “He’s not part of the party. He doesn’t come to meetings, and he doesn’t communicate with party leaders or other members.”

In 2018, the state’s Republican Party took the unprecedented step of running a direct-mail campaign targeting registered Republican voters in the 3rd District urging them not to vote for Jones.

“We spent not a significant amount,” Fogarty said. “What is frustrating to me as a Republican and a lawyer for the party is the extent to which people will go to point to [Jones] as an example of the Republican Party. We can’t denounce him strongly enough. People need to know what this guy is about.”

Morrison, too, is sick of Art Jones, issuing a written statement on behalf of Cook County’s GOP Party vehemently condemning Jones’ candidacy and going so far as to call Jones a “monster.”

“It’s a distraction — it feeds the opposition’s narrative,” Morrison said. “Just because Jones declares himself a Republican doesn’t mean it’s the rest of the party’s mindset. He loves the press and pretending that he’s not a racist hater.”

If Jones survives a petition challenge, he will be joined by two other GOP candidates in the Republican congressional primary. Oak Lawn resident Catherine O’Shea and Will County Board member Mike Fricilone have both declared their candidacy.

Reached by phone Tuesday evening, Jones told Patch he thinks the two GOP candidates are shills sent by Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and Morrison.

“I’m not to worried about it,” he said. “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.”

Illinois' 3rd Congressional District includes sections of Chicago's Southwest Side, and the south and western suburbs up to the Cook-DuPage border and a small part of Will County.

Past Art Jones coverage:

- Republican Congressional Candidate Says 'Holocaust Never Happened'

- Holocaust Denier Kicked Off Illinois GOP Primary Ballot Likes Trump - Except for One Little Thing

- Lipinski Trounces Holocaust-Denying Challenger Art Jones in IL-3

- Who Voted For The Nazi In The 3rd Congressional District Race?