A Kansas mayor announced on Tuesday that she has resigned over threats she has received after publicly supporting the city’s COVID-19 mask mandate.
Dodge City Mayor Joyce Warshaw told USA Today she feared for her safety after residents threatened her over the phone and email.
“I understand that people are under a lot of pressure from various things that are happening in society, such as the pandemic, politics, the economy and so on, but I also believe that people in these times are not acting as they normally would. Warshaw said to the outlet.
“I think the best thing for me and the city is that I get out of commission and mayoralty right now so the city can move forward and be the best, because I believe in the city.”
In the USA Today article on Dec. 11, Warshaw said she supported the mask mandate, which the city’s commission approved Nov. 16.
“We just felt we had to do something, so everyone knew how important it was for everyone to be responsible for each other’s health and well-being,” the mayor told the outlet.
Dodge City Police are investigating threats against Warshaw.