Missouri GOP Candidate Admits To Being An 'Honorary' KKK Member After Being Pictured In Front Of Burning Cross

The unofficial Republican gubernatorial ballot in Missouri features Darrell Leon McClanahan III who has admitted to his "honorary" Ku Klux Klan memberships.

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"Hey @MissouriGOP I just learned the candidate listed first on our primary ballot for Governor is a cross-burning KKK member who ran for US Senate 2 years ago and freely admits his KKK membership & white supremacist beliefs," former Rep. Shamed Dogan (R-Ballwin) tweeted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Dogan openly called on the party to reject McClanahan III, labeling him a "racist loser."

McClanahan III has attempted to downplay his affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan. Rather than acknowledging formal membership, he refers to himself as an "honorary" member of the Knight's Party KKK. 

He has reportedly actively participated in events organized by the Christian Identity Klan in Arkansas, and was even pictured at a cross-burning ceremony, which he referred to as a "religious Christian Identity Cross lighting ceremony."

The Anti-Defamation League's website shows McClanahan III next to a man in a white robe and hood. Both men posed in what appear to be Nazi salutes in front of a burning cross around 2019. He reportedly admitted it was him in the photo in a text message to the 'Riverfront Times.' 

The politician has reportedly advertised his membership in the League of the South, an extremist group advocating for a "white-dominated South," as reported by the Anti-Defamation League. 

McClanahan III admitted in his own court filings that he is a "Pro-White man, horseman, politician, political prisoner-activist who is dedicated to traditional Christian values."

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McClananan III responded to Dogan's tweet in a statement to the 'Riverfront Times' asking him to "cease and desist."

“Shamed Dogan I would like to respectfully request that you cease and desist from making defamatory statements about me on the X platform," he said. "Your statement about me being a cross-burning KKK member and white supremacist is false and damaging to my reputation.”

"The Missouri Republican Party has been made aware that Darrell Leon McClanahan III filed for Governor as a Republican despite his affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan, which fundamentally contradicts our party's values and platform," the official Missouri GOP account tweeted on Thursday. "We have begun the process of having Mr. McClanahan removed from the ballot as a Republican candidate."

"We condemn any association with hate groups and are taking immediate action to rectify this situation," the post continued. "Our party upholds respect for all individuals, and we're dedicated to addressing any challenges to these principles decisively."