Richard Spencer Named 2017 'Texan Of The Year' Finalist

DALLAS, TX — The Dallas Morning News announced Tuesday that Richard Spencer was chosen as a finalist for 'Texan of the Year.' The designation, The News wrote, is not a reward but instead a "recognition of those Texans who had uncommon impact, which can be a positive or negative impact, during the past year."

And indeed he did. Spencer, the white-supremacist leader credited with coining the term "alt-right" was embroiled in controversy in 2017. Raised in Dallas, Spencer led a torch march in Charlottesville, Virginia, that kickstarted subsequent marches resulting in fights and the death of one woman struck by a car driven by a white nationalist, NBC News reported. Spencer also runs AltRight.com, a white nationalist website, and is president of The National Policy Institute.

In the post, The News expressed distaste for Spencer, who they say is being recognized for his "noxious influence on American politics and racial violence."

The News went on to compare Spencer to former KKK leader David Duke, but said, in contrast, Spencer's "speeches and writings represent a new breed of white supremacy that seeks to sound mainstream while adhering to the same ugliness..."

Facebook users who reacted to the post, however, were largely unhappy with the decision.

Facebook user Brad Rivers wrote "this is DMN hiding behind this to report sensationalism. Why? This is cheesy at best. Low class trash as is the norm. There are so many ways this story could have been handled. Most importantly, this guy didn't influence me in my thinking, voting or anything else. But, your editorial board decides to give him a platform. I think we might be reading the real racist. I do admit, I did not (and will not) read more that 5 lines to get the jest. DMN you are living right up to your low level."

Meanwhile, a Facebook user by the name of Gregory Harper lauded the decision, writing "he definitely needs to be considered as a candidate for this recognition. If people would change and stop believing his hateful brand of rhetoric, he would slip into obscurity. We need to consistently be made aware that this type of person is garnering significant support. Racism and hate is alive and well in this state and in the nation, and we can’t afford to forget that."

The News responded to only one commenter, who expressed dissent with Spencer's selection.

"Like many other Person of the Year projects, our editorial board has always striven to highlight the most influential figures, even if their influence was negative," The News wrote. "You may recall that the Texan of the Year in 2007 was the 'Illegal Immigrant,' a topic desperately deserving of conversation that year. If you have a moment to read the editorial about Spencer, I believe you will see that this is in no way a platform for racism."

The News will discuss each of the nine 'Texan on the Year' finalists on Facebook in the days leading up to the announcement of the winner.

The 'Texan of the Year' program is now in its 15th year. Previous winners are:

• 2003: George W. Bush
• 2004: Karl Rove
• 2005: Houston
• 2006: Roy Velez
• 2007: The illegal immigrant
• 2008: Dallas County DA Craig Watkins
• 2009: Heroes of Fort Hood
• 2010: Rick Perry
• 2011: Bill McRaven
• 2012: Exonerees Christopher Scott and Michael Morton
• 2013: Heroes of West
• 2014: The Ebola Warriors
• 2015: Sens. Rodney Ellis and John Whitmire, and Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon
• 2016: Judge Janis Graham Jack

Read the editorial about choosing Richard Spencer as a 'Texan of the Year' finalist here.

Associated Press file photo - Richard Spencer speaks at the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, Texas. Spencer was chosen as a 'Texan of the Year' finalist by The Dallas Morning News. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)