Robert Dolton Foster
Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
from the 28th district
In office
January 5, 2016 – January 7, 2020
Preceded byTommy Taylor
Succeeded byJerry Darnell
Personal details
Born (1983-04-08) April 8, 1983
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseHeather Hartfield
ResidenceHernando, Mississippi
Alma materUniversity of Mississippi (BBA)
Websitegovernor.ms

Robert Dolton Foster (born April 8, 1983) is an American politician from the state of Mississippi. A Republican, he served in the Mississippi House of Representatives. He was an unsuccessful candidate for governor of Mississippi in the 2019 election.[1]

Political career

Foster was first elected to the Mississippi House in November 2015.[2][3] In 2017, Foster authored the current Mississippi death penalty law, which allows for executions by gas chamber, electrocution, and firing squad.[4] Foster also introduced legislation in 2017 that would have “remove[d] affirmative action, multiculturalism and sanctuary of illegal alien students” from public universities in the state, though the bill didn't pass.[5]

Foster runs Cedar Hill Farm, an agritourism business in DeSoto County, Mississippi.[4] During the 2019 Mississippi gubernatorial election, Foster portrayed himself as a conservative outsider aligned with Donald Trump.[6]

As a gubernatorial candidate, Foster's for Medicaid expansion received criticism from fellow Mississippi Republican Chris McDaniel. Foster explained his support by arguing:[7]

"We're sticking our head in the sand because we don't like the policy of Obamacare. I think it's bad policy. The ACA is bad policy that had a lot of flaws, but it is the law of the land, and Mississippi is going to have to do what's in our best interest until that law is changed in Washington."

Controversies

2019 journalist controversy

Foster received national attention in July 2019 when he refused to allow a female journalist from Mississippi Today to interview him alone, which she said constituted sexism.[8][9] Foster said that his position was grounded in a fear that he could be accused of being in an "inappropriate relationship" if he was seen alone with a woman other than his wife, something he called the Billy Graham rule.[9]

2022 call to execute trans rights supporters

On March 24, 2022, Foster tweeted that trans rights supporters should be executed by firing squad.[10] When confronted by fellow Republican Spencer Ritchie, he called him a RINO who has conceded power to communists. Foster also said that executing trans rights supporters would be an early divine judgment.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Published 11:24 a.m. CT Dec. 12, 2018 (December 12, 2018). "Mississippi lawmaker makes race for governor official". Clarionledger.com. Retrieved July 11, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ Long, Robert Lee (June 20, 2016). "Legislative term 'eye-opening' for freshman lawmaker | News". desototimes.com. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Rep. Robert Foster, in calls to top Republicans, signals 2019 governor run - Mississippi Today". November 30, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Ashton Pittman (March 25, 2022). "Ex-GOP Gov Candidate Calls For 'Firing Squad' For Trans Rights Supporters, Political Foes; News". mississippifreepress.org. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  5. ↑ Campbell, Larrison (November 30, 2018). "Rep. Robert Foster, in calls to top Republicans, signals 2019 governor run". Mississippi Today. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  6. ↑ Ramseth, Luke. "Mississippi election 2019: Where governor candidate Robert Foster stands on key issues". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  7. ↑ Pittman, Ashton. "Beyond Angry Tweets: Robert Foster on Why He is Running for Governor". www.jacksonfreepress.com. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  8. ↑ Cole, Devan (July 11, 2019). "Mississippi gubernatorial candidate stands by refusal to allow female reporter to interview him alone, which she says is 'sexism'". CNN. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  9. 1 2 Jones, Tom (July 10, 2019). "'Bring a male colleague along': The controversy between a Mississippi reporter and candidate for governor". Poynter. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Mississippi Republican Says Trans Rights Supporters Should Face a Firing Squad". www.vice.com. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Ex-GOP Gov Candidate Calls For 'Firing Squad' For Trans Rights Supporters". Mississippi Free Press. March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.


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