'Please for the love of God do not vote for my dad': Republican's daughter voices opposition

It’s not the usual rallying cry one might expect from a political candidate’s child as their father runs for office, but the daughter of a Republican candidate has urged people in Michigan to “please, for the love of God” not vote for her father.

“Tell everyone,” Stephanie Regan wrote in a viral tweet – which has now been liked more than 180,000 times on Twitter.

In a follow-up tweet, she called on voters to research the background of her father, Robert Regan, for themselves, writing: “I don’t feel safe rn sharing further information regarding his beliefs, but please look him up and just read for yourself.”

Regan is running in Michigan’s primary for a state house seat this August.

Stephanie Regan’s words seem to have come as a blow to her father, who has espoused a commitment to his family on his campaign website, using multiple photos of himself and his children to support his campaign.

Robert Regan has spoken on local TV since his daughter sent out the tweet, blaming her liberal college education for her views.

“When they go off to college, quite frankly they get involved with these Marxist, socialist universities ,and they start getting indoctrinated with things that are completely polar opposite from where you raised them,” Regan told local TV.

Regan, who describes himself on his own website as “so conservative [he] makes Rush Limbaugh look like a liberal,” says he and his daughter have disagreed on systemic racism, white privilege and Black Lives Matter.

“She’s a big believer in that,” he told the Hill. “The only place where I really see systemic racism would be the abortion clinic, because they seem to target the African American community.”

His tone seems to have taken a turn since Thursday, when he posted a lengthy statement to Facebook that seemed appreciative of his daughter’s political engagement.

“I am happy that she feels confident enough in our relationship to express her opposing thoughts so publicly” while encouraging her and others to voice their own opinions, he said.

• This article was amended on 26 June 2020 to correct a misspelled name in a photo caption.