GOP-endorsed candidate references conspiracy theories, 'communist' sculptures

HAMILTON, Ohio – An unusual endorsement, references to the Antichrist and a conspiracy theory about communist cells and sculpture. Here's what's going on inside a strange Republican primary in Butler County.

Incumbent Rep. Sara Carruthers will face Hamilton pastor Diane Mullins in the March 19 Republican primary – and the Butler County Republican Party is backing Mullins.

Carruthers took office in 2019 and represents District 47, which includes Hamilton and the northern part of Butler County, a suburban county north of Cincinnati. Her most recently sponsored legislation includes bills to enact a "parent's bill of rights" and to increase fines for selling tobacco products to minors.

Who is Diane Mullins?

Mullins is a pastor at Calvary Church, a Christian church in Hamilton, and the founder of Deborah's Voice, a ministry she said God called her to create in response to the Women's March in 2017. The organization focuses on ending abortion, preserving Christian values and "protecting traditional marriage," among other causes, according to its website.

Clips of Mullins' sermons were posted on X, formerly Twitter, by an account called Ohio Legislative Watch.

Her sermons have referenced antisemitic conspiracy theories, the Antichrist and a communist plot involving sculptures. She has told her congregation not to watch secular news or read secular news articles and said they are all "lies and propaganda."

"Look up the Zionist communist takeover of America. Forty-five declared goals – these declared goals of communism to take our nation. A one-world government is what it boils down to, a one-world government which is the Antichrist at the head of it all," she said during one sermon in August 2021.

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What's this about communist sculpture?

Mullins said an American communist cell sought to replace all good sculpture in parks and buildings with "shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

"And do we not have a bunch of those right here in Hamilton?" she asked the congregation. "I mean, I'm driving by, I'm right there where Telhio is and I'm like, what is it? Have you ever seen so much money we're paying as taxpayers for shapeless, meaningless forms?"

The Enquirer called and texted Mullins to ask about the sermons. Mullins said in a statement via text message that she was reading from an article that listed communist goals to destroy America.

"I did not say that One World Order, Zionists, or Communist Cells were responsible for putting Sculptures in Hamilton. I did refer to our sculptures and wondered who paid for them? Taxpayers! All laughed and I moved on," she said.

Mullins said she had no further comment when asked in person at a campaign event.

City of Sculpture is a nonprofit organization that has commissioned and placed over 50 sculptures in public spaces for Hamilton citizens and visitors. The group was created in 2000 when then-Gov. Bob Taft formally recognized Hamilton as "The City of Sculpture."

Taylor Stone-Welch, vice president of City of Sculpture, said he saw the clip of Mullins on X and immediately recognized she was referring to Embrace, a sculpture that sits at the intersection of Main Street and Eaton Avenue, near the Telhio Credit Union.

The organization commissioned Embrace to mark its 20th anniversary. Arkansas sculptor Hunter Brown created the piece to symbolize people coming together and creating a better sense of community.

"There is an abstract but positive – and I would think universally celebrated – concept behind the piece," Stone-Welch said.

Embrace was funded half by donations from about two dozen families and half by prior donations and money from City of Sculpture's fundraisers. No taxpayer money went to the sculpture, he said.

Many Hamilton sculptures in the city are abstract contemporary pieces like Embrace, but Stone-Welch said at least 20 of the sculptures are bronze figures of people, including the Firefighter Memorial; The Protector, a statue of a police officer with two children outside the Hamilton Police Department; and Come Unto Me, a statue of Jesus Christ near the Presbyterian Church of Hamilton.

“Most people do not care strongly about our sculptures. To equate it to the coming of the Antichrist is quite shocking," he said.

Stone-Welch said he found Mullins' comments about the sculpture offensive.

“We're volunteers trying to do something to better our community and she's bringing in some pretty radical ideas. Our board is made up of people of all different ideologies and backgrounds so we just don't appreciate that kind of negativity brought to what we’re doing," he said.

Why did the Butler County GOP endorse Mullins?

Todd Hall, chair of the Butler County Republican Party, told The Enquirer in a statement that candidates apply to be endorsed by the party.

“The incumbent did not apply, based on decisions she made in the House Speaker vote last year that disappointed several members of our committees, and caused her pause as to whether she thought she could achieve the endorsement," he said.

Carruthers said it's true that she did not apply for the endorsement but that she didn't decide because of the speaker vote.

"I think I've been around here long enough. I'm proud of my record and it's up to the community," she said.

The Butler County Republican Party censured Carruthers after she and 21 other Republicans joined with Democrats to vote for Republican Jason Stephens as Speaker of the House instead of Derek Merrin, the Hamilton Journal-News reported. Carruthers told The Enquirer she stood by her vote for Stephens.

Hall said Mullins was essentially the last candidate standing for endorsement after Carruthers chose not to apply and other candidates on the ballot dropped out due to low support or their decision to support Mullins.

Erin Glynn is the watchdog reporter for Butler, Warren and Clermont counties through the Report For America program. The Enquirer needs local donors to help fund her grant-funded position. If you want to support Glynn's work, you can donate to her Report For America position at this website or email her editor Carl Weiser at cweiser@enquirer.com to find out how you can help fund her work. 

Do you know something she should know? Send her a note at eglynn@enquirer.com and follow her on X at @ee_glynn.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Butler County candidate references antisemitic conspiracy theory