I received another James Calkins text message this morning:
Richard,
Santa Rosa County is under attack from a Democrat takeover. They’re switching parties to run as Republicans and attacking real conservatives.
Just like they targeted President Trump with their “Russia, Russia, Russia” nonsense, they’re using the same dirty tactics against Commissioner James Calkins. James Calkins, our most principled conservative Republican commissioner who fights against overdevelopment, is being slandered in a recent mailer funded by a shady, developer-backed PAC.
They’re trying to twist a trip James took to Russia in 2013—when relations were entirely different—into a false link with the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Don’t buy into their lies! James Calkins is dedicated to what truly matters—our community! He stands up for what’s right and isn’t a puppet, unlike his Democrat-backed opponent who is behind this. That’s why he’s being attacked.
Paid for by America First Alliance
Calkins is an incumbent Republica commissioner in Santa Rosa County. He is running against Jerry Couey and Rhett Rowell in the GOP primary.
The “Russia, Russia, Russia” comment is linked to a video clip that surfaced two years ago. Calkins is drinking with his in-laws in Russia, drunkenly proclaiming his love for Russia and celebrating Putin.
YouTube has since deleted the clip: “Video unavailable. This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by James Calkins.”
Also the PAC – American First Alliance – sending the next message to help Calkins is funded by developers and others in the real estate industry.
So the developers are paying for a text message to accuse Calkins’s opponent of being backed by a developer. Developers have also contributed heavily to his campaign directly.