A controversial political advertisement targeting Asian-American candidate Kimberly Yee in Arizona has ignited widespread criticism for its use of racist stereotypes. The ad, which labels Yee, the current Arizona State Treasurer, as the "Empress of DEI," employs stereotypical lettering, colors, music, and imagery associated with Chinese culture, including the sound of a traditional erhu and a gong.
The advertisement originated from Arizonans for Election Integrity, a California-based group funded by the Super PAC Conservatives for Effective Government. It appeared amid the race for Arizona's next state schools chief, a position for which Yee is seeking the Republican nomination.
Both Yee and her opponent in the GOP primary, incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, have denounced the ad as racist. Yee, 52, who has deep family roots in Arizona dating back to the 1930s, has accused Horne and his allies of orchestrating the campaign. "Horne and his supporters are clearly putting out these ads, and it is revolting. It's racist," Yee stated in an interview with 2News KPNX in Phoenix. She pointed to Horne's "long-standing history of coordinating with independent expenditure campaigns" that operate under the guise of "dark money."
Horne, however, denied any communication with the groups behind the ad, telling The Arizona Republic that he rejected its racist nature. "I think that it's possible for them to run an ad criticizing her participation in the DEI committee without engaging in racism, because I've done it," Horne said. He also claimed the commercial left him "profoundly shocked" and emphasized that communication with such an "independent campaign out of state" would be illegal.
Beyond the racist imagery, the ad also falsely accused Yee of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Yee vehemently refuted this claim, stating, "That is a lie. And in fact, my longstanding record has been fighting against radical DEI policies." Horne had previously alleged that Yee served on a DEI committee for the National Association for State Treasurers, an assertion Yee denied, attributing it to a potential error by the association and reiterating her opposition to DEI initiatives.
Horne issued a public request via Twitter for Arizonans for Election Integrity to withdraw the ad from circulation. The commercial's narrator stated, "Meet Kimberly Yee, she’s the Empress of DEI. Yee led a national shadow government of bureaucrats pushing an extreme diversity equity and inclusion agenda. Kimberly Yee. Too liberal for school superintendent."
A disclaimer on the ad identified Arizonans for Election Integrity and Conservatives for Effective Government as its funders. Red Eagle Media, which handled ad buys on local stations, listed Jon Huey as the treasurer for Arizonans for Election Integrity. Arizonans for Election Integrity is based in El Dorado Hills, California, while Conservatives for Effective Government is based in Florida.