Racioppi, a member of the group Super Happy Fun America, which organized the parade and buses for the Capitol riot, is running for a seat in Massachusetts’ First Essex House District. The district contains several towns in northeast Massachusetts, including Merrimac, Newburyport, Salisbury and part of Amesbury—a fairly moderate area that has a recent history of supporting both Democrats and Republicans.

Incumbent GOP state Representative James Kelcourse vacated the seat for a job on the state’s parole board in June, according to a report from The Boston Globe, but his name will still appear as the only option on the GOP primary ballot on September 6. The decision, then, as to who will be nominated for the November general election will likely be made by party officials. But WBTS, Boston’s NBC affiliate, reported that if a write-in candidate receives the most votes in the primary, more than Kelcourse, that candidate will appear on the November ballot.

Racioppi’s candidacy comes just about one week before the state’s primary, and some Massachusetts Republicans say his right-wing policy positions could cost their party a seat in the State House, where Democrats already hold a massive advantage in the solidly Democratic state.

Racioppi Candidacy ‘Real Concern’: GOP Leader

Racioppi has long been a controversial figure in Massachusetts politics. The 2019 Straight Pride Parade drew local condemnation. The organization Super Happy Fun America describes straight people as an “oppressed majority” and says it advocates “on behalf of the straight community,” according to its website.

The group also organized buses to attend the January 6 riot—when a group of former President Donald Trump’s supporters violently protested at the U.S. Capitol in a failed attempt to force Congress to block President Joe Biden’s win—according to The Washington Post.

In 2021, Racioppi described January 6 as “incredible,” according to a report from local news station WBTS. However, he also told the Post that when he saw some rioters using a ratchet strap to pull down a barricade, he “wanted nothing to do with that” and “ended up leaving.”

Massachusetts State House Minority Leader Brad Jones told The Boston Globe nominating Racioppi would present a “real concern” about their chances of winning the “challenging seat.”

“One, it’s not necessarily putting forward the strongest candidate to win the seat in question. And two, the fact is that the candidate you choose is potentially a reflection on the party or the entire ticket,” he told The Boston Globe.

Racioppi, however, has defended his activism by saying it is peaceful and that he doesn’t allow neo-Nazis at his events, the Globe reported.

Newsweek reached out to the Racioppi campaign for comment.