KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The 19-year-old who won a Kansas House of Representatives seat said he is “resigning” from the nomination, according to a series of tweets.
Aaron Coleman defeated incumbent Rep. Stan Frownfelter in the Democratic primary for the 37th District. But in a tweet sent early Sunday morning, Coleman stated that “the progressive circular firing squad has done more to uphold the status quo than conservatives could have ever dreamed of” and that he would issue a press release giving his resignation.
RELATED: Wyandotte County election board certifies win for 19-year-old
Coleman previously told the Associated Press that accusations of “online bullying, blackmail and revenge porn” were true.
In the series of tweets that continued throughout the day, Coleman said he regrets his past actions and hopes “to continually learn from them.”
He also apologized to the womeninvolved in the allegations.
“I do apologize to them from a place of remorse and shame, but words alone are not an acceptable response today,” Coleman tweeted. “We need to provide safety to women in this society,which we do not currently do. I believe that we have a moral obligation to provide a life of dignity to our citizens, and, I think, that with more self-respect, I would have been a better person to those women in middle school.”
By Sunday afternoon, Coleman stated he was withdrawing his nomination.
Jacques Barber, Wyandotte County Democratic Party Chair, confirmed to 41 Action News that Coleman contacted him to say he wanted to withdraw from the race. Barber said he will have to call for a district convention to fill the vacancy.
"Ultimately, the name that we will actually select has to be submitted to the state and the governor actually approves it," Barber said.
The "primary concern" for Barber is that the process to fill the seat is open and fair.
A 2019 Kansas statutestates that those who wish to withdraw can do so because of a “severe medical hardship on the nominee or the nominee’s immediate family” or the nominee does not live in the state.
In order to withdraw under medical hardship, the nominee must provide certification signed by a medical doctor, according to the statute.
Coleman said in a tweet on Sunday that his father currently is hospitalized.
Barber told 41 Action News that Coleman's past actions came to light during the election, which caused some to suggest that Coleman resign and that he was "unfit for office."
41 Action News has reached out to Coleman for comment and has yet to receive a response.
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