LANSING, Mich. — Shane Hernandez, the Republican nominee to be Michigan's lieutenant governor, posted and then deleted a photo of himself with the flag of an anti-government militia movement in the background on Saturday.
The image was one of three included in a tweet Hernandez sent out about a visit to a farmers market in Port Austin. In the photo, the former state lawmaker, who is Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon's running mate, stood next to a man with the flag for the Three Percenters movement behind them.
After the message and photos were deleted, Hernandez tweeted, "Regarding my last post, I bought 8 (ounces) of honey from a small business owner, and he wanted to take a picture with me at his booth.
"When I posted the picture, I did not notice the flag in the background. I disavow any such sentiments."
Three Percenters are "part of the militia movement, which supports the idea of a small number of dedicated 'patriots' protecting Americans from government tyranny," according to the Anti-Defamation League. Three Percenters' logo often features a Roman numeral III surrounded by 13 stars, the Anti-Defamation League says.
The Southern Poverty Law Center says Three Percenterism is "a sub-ideology or common belief that falls within the larger anti-government militia movement."
Federal prosecutors have tied supporters of the Three Percenters movement to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and to the plot to kidnap and harm Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, whom Dixon is running against this fall.
In reaction to the Hernandez photo, the Michigan Democratic Party issued a statement Sunday calling on Dixon, a political commentator from Norton Shores, to "answer for the endorsement of this violent anti-law enforcement and anti-American extremist group."
Republican delegates officially nominated Hernandez of Port Huron for lieutenant governor on Aug. 27. He served two terms in the state House, where he was known for his conservative views, before unsuccessfully running for Congress in 2020.
