Republican leaders in North Dakota have demanded that state representative Nico Rios step down after his recent arrest for drunk driving and subsequent outburst at police, during which he made homophobic slurs and comments about “illegal aliens.”
According to Mike Lefor, the Republican leader of the House’s majority, Rios was vocally hostile, homophobic, racially derogatory, and prejudiced against the officer during the entire time of the roadside testing by officers to determine if Rios was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Lefor said that Rios also allegedly tried to evade arrest by intimidating the police with his status as a politician.
In response to requests for comment, neither Rios nor his lawyer are returning calls or emails.
Previous remarks by Rios included an admission of wrongdoing, an expression of regret, and a promise “to make sure this never occurs again.”
Along with Lefor, Sandi Sanford, chair of the North Dakota Republican Party, said that Rep. Rios’s behavior and statements do not meet the minimum standards of fundamental decency that any of our neighbors should possess. Sanford noted that Rios disdained law enforcement and jeopardized the community he was elected to protect.
“As Republicans, this goes against everything we stand for,” Sanford said.
Rios is seen yelling at the officer, criticizing his English accent, and using homophobic language and invective and derision toward migrants. The bodycam footage was obtained and viewed by the Associated Press.
In addition to his rant, Rios threatened to contact the North Dakota attorney general about the matter and leverage his muscles against the officers. On February 5th, Rios will have a pretrial conference in municipal court.
His resignation is being demanded by the NDGOP and House Majority Leader Mike Lefor (R-Dickinson).
Rios apologized for the incident in a message posted on X on December 18th, making him the first to announce his detention publicly.
