Jess Phoenix, California Democrat, Dodges Lava, Won’t Sweat Being Splashed With Water A La Tomi Lahren
Volcanologist and Democratic congressional candidate in California’s 25th District, Jess Phoenix, wouldn’t let a splash of water get her hot under the collar when she spends her time dodging spurts of lava. Phoenix reacted Wednesday to conservative commentator Tomi Lahren having water thrown at her during a brunch with family members by posting a photo on Twitter of her working with molten lava.
“People have asked how a scientist would handle DC’s pressure, especially in light of @TomiLahren getting splashed with water,” Phoenix said in her tweet. “In my job I worry about getting splashed with lava. I think I’ll manage.”
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Lahren and her family were having brunch on the roof of Minneapolis restaurant Sunday when she was verbally assaulted by a number of patrons for her conservative views. At some point in the altercation, one of the patrons threw a glass of water on the Fox News contributor.The incident led to both President Donald Trump and comedienne Kathy Griffin, polar opposites politically, to tweet their support for Lahren.
Phoenix thinks facing the dangers of her work as a geologist, including the study of volcanic activity and lava, demonstrate her ability to face the rigors of Washington politics.
People have asked how a scientist would handle DC's pressure, especially in light of @TomiLahren getting splashed with water.
In my job I worry about getting splashed with lava. I think I'll manage.#science #votescience #Jess2018 #CA25 pic.twitter.com/qFJK8jW2XX
— Jess Phoenix, Lava Connoisseur ? (@jessphoenix2018) May 23, 2018
If that wasn’t heated enough, Phoenix is headed into a hotly contested race in her district, which includes northern Los Angeles and Ventura counties, according to the Ballotpedia website.
She is facing off in a four-way Democratic primary against Katie Hill, Brian Caforio, and Mary Pallant, according to Ballotpedia. The winner will take on Republican incumbent Rep. Stephen Knight to represent the district of 714,313 constituents.
According to Ballotpedia, the district is almost evenly split between men and women, 50.7 percent male and 49.3 percent female, and is predominantly white, 63.7 percent. Phoenix has the backing of 314 Action, a pro-science political action organization that recruits and trains scientists to run for office. According to its website, the organization boasts 400,000 grassroots members and has trained some 1,400 scientists to campaign for office.
In a Washington Post profile, Phoenix said she is running because of the importance of science and facts and is seeing those aspects lacking in the current government.
“Phoenix feels that its current representative, Republican Steve Knight, has mishandled environmental problems and disregarded the science needed to address them. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has moved to roll back environmental regulations and cut funding for research.”
“The whole thing is really hard to just sit there and watch,” Phoenix said in the article. “That’s why I’m like, okay, it’s time to get to work. Because if not scientists, if not people who really understand what’s at stake, then who is going to step up?”
Phoenix is joined in the 2018 race by fellow scientists Randy Wadkins, a biochemist out of Mississippi; Molly Sheehan, a bioengineering postdoctoral researcher from Pennsylvania; Phil Janowicz, a former chemistry professor running in California, and several others, according to Science.
