19-year-old who won Kansas House seat goes back on decision to withdraw

The 19-year-old community college student has previously defeated the 13-year incumbent, Stan Frownfelter, in the Democratic primary for a state House seat in Kansas.

AUGUST 25, 2020 23:08

Aaron Coleman is a 19 years old community college student from Kansas City, Kansas. (photo credit: Courtesy) — Aaron Coleman is a 19 years old community college student from Kansas City, Kansas.

(photo credit: Courtesy)

Aaron Coleman, the 19-year-old Jewish teen from Kansas who won the Democratic nomination to run for the state House of Representatives, has decided to revoke his decision to withdraw from the November elections, local news site KSHB reported.

The 19-year-old community college student and great-grandson of a Holocaust survivor previously defeated the 13-year incumbent, Stan Frownfelter, in the Democratic primary for a state House seat in Kansas by a total of 14 votes. Since there is no Republican candidate ruining for the house seat, his name would be the only one on the ballot after his victory.

However, his resignation came after it was revealed he sent a series of harassing tweets to girls while he was in middle school, which he admitted to doing.

He called one girl fat and told her to kill herself. She later told the newspaper that she did, indeed, attempt suicide.

He blackmailed a second girl, threatening to send a nude photo of her to her family and friends unless she sent him more. When the girl did not comply, Coleman sent the photo he had. She told the newspaper that she doesn’t know how Coleman obtained the photo in the first place.

A third woman told the newspaper that he harassed her “for months.”

“I made serious mistakes in middle school and I deeply regret and apologize for them. I’ve grown up a great deal since then,” Coleman told The Star editorial board last week.

Coleman told The Intercept in a profile published on Saturday that he reached out to his victims to apologize, but they have not responded.

In yet another twist to the story, he uploaded a video statement to YouTube on Tuesday, which he titled: "Onwards to November"

"From the moment I won, I have endured sustained attacks," the teen said in a statement. "I obviously did not expect to have my entire personal life, especially what I did in middle school, put under that kind of national microscope.

"My withdrawal would immediately return the power to corporatist, out-of-touch 7-term incumbent that voters just rejected."

It is unclear at this time why he went back on his decision to withdraw from the race.