Rogue Arizona politician, former congressional candidate wounded in S.D. car crash
An Arizona lawmaker sustained serious injuries in a weekend car crash in western South Dakota.
Sen. Anthony Kern was the passenger in an accident on a Black Hills roadway, Saturday according to a spokeswoman for the Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus who said Kern and a friend were traveling to South Dakota from Phoenix to visit family and friends at the time of the crash. He was born and raised in Minnesota.
Winter weather likely contributed.
Multiple Arizona news outlets and a Phoenix television station have reported that the vehicle lost control when it hit ice. It was the only one involved in the crash, according to those outlets.
Kern is being treated at a Rapid City hospital. News of the crash brought well wishes from his Legislative colleagues in Arizona.
“Senator Kern was in a serious car accident,” Arizona Senate Warren Peterson wrote in a social media post. “Has some injuries but he is in stable condition. Prayers that he will heal quickly.”
Representing a section of Maricopa County, Kern has served in both chambers of the Arizona Legislature since 2015. Previously, his candidacy for state senate was endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump. He did not to seek re-election to the state Senate in this year’s election, opting instead for what turned out to be an unsuccessful run for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. He lost in a crowded GOP primary.
Kern was among several Arizona officials who in April were charged in a “fake electors” scheme that aimed to overturn the results of thee 2020 election in the state of Arizona in favor of Trump. He attended the Jan. 6, 2021 protests against that election at the U.S. Capitol.
