A Kansas mayor has resigned, saying she “doesn’t feel safe” after receiving a series of hate mail and death threats over her recent support of a local mask mandate, NBC News reports.
Dodge City Mayor Joyce Warshaw, a Republican, became emotional while making the announcement.
“This is harder for me than people realize,” she said. “I really love this city with all my heart. I still believe in this city, and I believe in their ability to not harm one another.”
The Mayor said she started receiving death threats and terrifying messages after she was quoted in a USA Today article regarding a recent city council vote, which required all residents to wear a face-covering in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus.
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The commission on Nov. 16 voted 4-1 to impose a mask mandate, with several exceptions.
Ford County, where Dodge City is located, has recorded 4,914 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to the state health department. The county has about 33,600 residents.
Warshaw said despite the threats, she doesn’t regret voting in favor of the mask mandate.
“I have no regrets about any of my actions or decisions I made as mayor but I think it’s best to move on,” she told the news outlet. “Particularly my husband said ‘you’re done, you’re done.’ Maybe the city can just move on.”
