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McGeachin campaign official "disgusted" by Juneteenth, blasts Hershey's ad with Black family

Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, right, shortly before greeting a crowd on the steps of the Idaho Capitol in Boise as she announces her bid for governor in 2022.
James Dawson
/
Boise State Public Radio
Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, right, shortly before greeting a crowd on the steps of the Idaho Capitol in Boise as she announces her bid for governor in 2022.

It’s unclear if Lisa Leisy is still serving as Power County Chair for Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin’s gubernatorial run after she tweeted, then deleted that she “doesn’t support” a Hershey’s chocolate commercial featuring a Black family.

Leisy posted Monday, “I don’t support the new and improved #Hersheys #christmas black only commercial. Classic #commercial and they ruined it,” followed by three puke emojis.

A tweet from Lisa Leisy
James Dawson
/
Boise State Public Radio
A screenshot of a since-deleted tweet from Lisa Leisy, a Janice McGeachin campaign official.

On Tuesday afternoon, Leisy's Twitter biography no longer listed herself as the Power County Chair for McGeachin's campaign. A Facebook page led by her promoting Power County campaign events was also seemingly taken down Tuesday.

Neither Leisy, nor Beth Cahill, a spokesperson for McGeachin’s campaign, immediately returned calls or emails seeking comment.

The commercial, which debuted in 2020, features animated Hershey’s Kisses ringing bells to the tune of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

Then, a young Black girl’s hand appears, taking one of the chocolate candies to put on a cookie she made with her father.

Several Twitter users called Leisy’s tweet racist.

In a reply to one person who said she thought the commercial was “adorable,” Leisy said, “Good for you. I no longer can watch much current tv cause black only supporting. Racist commercial if only supports blacks only.”

James Dawson
/
Boise State Public Radio

Earlier this year, Leisy also posted on Instagram that she was “sickened” and “disgusted” that Apple was “promoting the newest ‘holiday’ Juneteenth” in its calendar.

“Guess we’re on our way to be a black nation ahead,” she wrote. “Welcome to the ‘new’ America.”

Juneteenth has been celebrated for more than a century and marks the day in 1865 when enslaved Black people in Texas learned they had been freed.

The news came more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect abolishing slavery and months after General Robert E. Lee surrendered as head of the Confederate army.

Earlier this year, just 14 members of the U.S. House voted against making Juneteenth a federal holiday. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the bill.

Lisa Leisy instagram post
James Dawson
/
Boise State Public Radio
Lisa Leisy, a campaign official for Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, says in an Instagram post she's "disgusted" by Juneteenth.

Leisy has posted thousands of times on her various social media accounts over just the past few months. She describes herself as "Anti-Vaxx" and "America 1st."

Many of her posts promote the baseless idea that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election. Others show support for far-right figures, like U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

McGeachin is challenging current Gov. Brad Little for Idaho's top elected office in the Republican primary next year, along with a handful of other candidates.

Follow James Dawson on Twitter @RadioDawson for more local news.

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I cover politics and a bit of everything else for Boise State Public Radio. Outside of public meetings, you can find me fly fishing, making cool things out of leather or watching the Seattle Mariners' latest rebuilding season. If you have a tip, please get in touch!

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