Before state Rep. Jason Spencer dropped his pants on TV, he was an outspoken conservative at the center of heated debates over Confederate monuments, burqas and hidden predators.
Spencer, a Republican from the southeast Georgia town of Woodbine, is facing calls to resign after he shouted racial slurs and exposed his rear-end in an episode of Sacha Baron Cohen's TV series, "Who is America?"
Perceived threat: Spencer warned a Democrat in the Georgia House not to seek the removal of Confederate statues. Spencer told Rep. LaDawn Jones last year that if she came to his area, she wouldn't be "met with torches but something a lot more definitive."
Sexual assault: Spencer championed a bill that would have allowed adult survivors of child sexual abuse more time to file lawsuits against their abusers. The bill didn't pass this year amid opposition from the Boy Scouts and some other nonprofit organizations.
Outer space: The idea of building a spaceport on Georgia's southern coast was a key issue for Spencer, who said it would boost the state's economy. Spencer wanted to bring high-paying aerospace jobs to a commercial launching pad in the region.
Burqa ban: Spencer proposed legislation in 2016 that would have placed limits on where women could wear burqas in Georgia. The bill would have prevented anyone from wearing a burqa while driving or in driver's license photos. Spencer said at the time the bill would have curtailed "radical elements that could pose a threat to public safety," but he withdrew it following widespread opposition.
Ousted from office: Even if Spencer doesn't resign, he has already lost re-election. Spencer, who was first elected in 2010, was defeated in the Republican primary election in May by a 58-42 margin. Spencer lost to Steven Sainz, the executive director of a community planning agency. There's no Democratic candidate in the race.
About the Author
