Pena case highlights threats of violence in the world of politics – By Elise Kaplan & Jessica Dyer (Albuquerque Journal) / Jan 21, 2023
Copyright © 2023 Albuquerque Journal
When Solomon Pena lost his election for House District 14 in November, he insisted the election was rigged and he should have been declared the winner. He also believed Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election, again claiming the election was rigged.
Police say that appears to be the reason Pena – a 39-year-old failed Republican candidate who had shared photographs implying he was in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021 – allegedly orchestrated shootings at four Democratic lawmakers’ homes.
University of New Mexico political science professor Gabriel Sanchez said there has been a rise in threats of violence toward elected officials over the past couple of years, and that false claims of the 2020 election being stolen is “a big part of the escalation.”
“The attack on the U.S. Capitol building, for me, that was an indicator that we were going to see more violence,” he said. “That’s the easiest connection point because a lot of these folks believe that the 2020 election was stolen from them and that, I think, is fueling their hatred, their anger, and, unfortunately, what we’re seeing.”
