Will Rep. Tim Hernández Lose His Seat Over Gaza Protests?

Dec 4, 2023

Teacher, Tim Hernández, discusses his viral comments on the Hamas attack on Israel and the aftermath. He reflects on standing in solidarity at a protest, apologizing for his controversial tweet, facing backlash and isolation, and House Speaker Julie McCluskey's response.

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Introduction

00:00 • 4min

Standing in Solidarity and Diffusing Tensions

04:26 • 6min

Reflections on Controversial Protest and Press Influence

10:05 • 5min

Navigating Controversy

15:27 • 8min

Note on Tim Hernandez's Election and Response from House Speaker Julie McCluskey

23:32 • 2min

Tim Hernández came on our show for the first time two years ago as a 24-year-old teacher who was not just burned out but burned up. He spoke out and suffered the consequences, losing his job with DPS but also becoming kinda Denver famous. Then this year, two things happened. First, Hernández was picked by Democratic leaders to fill a vacant seat in the state legislature. Second, on October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. The next day, Hernández went to a protest, talked to someone on camera about Gaza, and went crazy viral. Host Bree Davies sat down with Hernández to talk about what happened next.

Check out some of Hernández’s early appearances on our show:

“One Denver Teacher Says They're Not Just Burned Out, They're Being Set On Fire” (Jan. 11, 2022)
“He's a Beloved Northside Teacher. Why Did DPS Let Him Go?” (May 11, 2022)

Here is the full text of the statement Speaker Julie McCluskie (D-Dillon) sent us:

As I said publicly, I had several conversations with Representative Hernandez in which I urged him to condemn the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel. Following these conversations, I released a statement expressing my disappointment in the representative’s initial reluctance to condemn the attack and for his promotion of offensive social media posts that appeared to support it. I appreciated his apology, and I know he is working hard to learn from his actions. Finally, I want to be clear that I never discussed electoral implications with Rep. Hernandez, and I don’t know from where he heard that. I’m not going to comment further on the specific details of private conversations that I have with members.

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