As the tight gubernatorial race in New Jersey reaches its final stretch, a deputy attorney general last week left his secure government career to speak out on pivotal political issues impacting his home state.
After a 14-year public service career, during which he worked on high-pressure cases as a deputy AG, assistant prosecutor, and defense attorney, William Holmes announced that he felt compelled to resign.
‘I cannot, in good conscience, work under someone who would label me a racist or white supremacist simply for sharing some of Kirk’s views.’
He referred to the celebration of the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, along with New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill’s comments about Kirk, as the final straw.
Holmes expressed deep concern that Sherrill would secure a victory against Republican rival Jack Ciattarelli on Tuesday.
“I disagree with her on many issues, but what troubles me most is her recent characterization of Charlie Kirk’s views as ‘racist’ and ‘anti-American,’” Holmes wrote in a post on Facebook addressing his recent decision to resign. He called Sherrill’s “reckless labels” of Kirk’s views “disqualifying.”
Holmes was referring to a statement released by Rep. Sherrill (D-N.J.) on Kirk’s murder. While she condemned the “horrific” assassination, she called Kirk’s views “vile” and accused him of trying to “roll back the rights of women and Black people.”
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Image source: William Holmes
“Any person who is trying to hold a position of great power should at the very least try to understand the arguments of their political opponents. The ignorant labeling by Sherrill shows she made no such attempt,” Holmes told Blaze News.
He further scrutinized Sherrill for remaining silent about Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones’ text message scandal, in which he wished death on a Republican rival and his children.
“I resigned because I want to urge people not to vote for Mikie Sherrill and to give Jack a chance. Her inflammatory comments, made before Kirk was even laid to rest, cannot be ignored,” he wrote. “I cannot, in good conscience, work under someone who would label me a racist or white supremacist simply for sharing some of Kirk’s views.”
Holmes acknowledged that resigning was a risky decision, but he emphasized the importance of freely discussing political matters.
“I’ve had to bite my tongue on many issues, such as how bail reform was implemented, the assassination attempt on President Trump and the coverage of it afterwards, and of course, Charlie Kirk’s recent death and the aftermath of it,” Holmes told Blaze News. “I understand some of the reasoning as to why a prosecutor needs to stay silent and how it could affect the public’s trust. However, I also know that if my co-workers knew I had strong conservative views, it would likely ruin any chances of a promotion while serving under a Democratic leadership.”
Jack Ciattarelli. Photo by Andres Kudacki/Getty Images. Mikie Sherrill. Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images
Holmes contended that “debate is the best forum for discovering truth.” He stated that labels like “Nazis,” “racists,” and “fascists” are used to dehumanize conservatives and discourage debate.
“I hope others are willing to come forward and speak out and defend their beliefs. The more people who are willing to speak out and criticize the ignorant labels by people who do not even bother trying to understand our beliefs, the harder it will be to silence us,” he said.
As of Saturday, RealClearPolling had Sherrill with an average advantage of just 3.3 points over Ciattarelli, and some recent polls show just a 1-point advantage.
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