Political backlash over Charlie Kirk murder hits Stanislaus County. What happened?
Political backlash following the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has reached Stanislaus County, resulting in the resignation of one city council member and calls for the resignation of another.
It started with a vigil Sept. 13 in Turlock to mourn Kirk, who was assassinated in Utah earlier that week. The Stanislaus Republican Party invited the Stanislaus County Democrats to join the event as a show of solidarity against political violence.
The Stanislaus County Democratic Party, led by Waterford Councilmember Lise Talbott, declined to participate in the event in a letter posted to social media Sept 12. Talbott said the Democrats respected the intention behind the invitation but could not “in good conscience attend an event that centers on Charlie Kirk, given his association with fascist ideology.”
While Kirk often spoke in support of conservative policies, he was also seen as a divisive figure who often used language considered discriminatory toward Black people, Muslims, women, members of the LGBTQ community, immigrants and advocated for public executions.
This refusal to attend led to backlash both in Waterford and in Oakdale, where Christopher Smith is a council member.
In Oakdale, community member Justin Farkas had planned to provide remarks at the Sept. 15 City Council meeting, condemning the Stanislaus County Democrats’ refusal to participate. But according to a social media post, ahead of the meeting he began researching Smith. Farkas said he discovered retweets by Smith that included a post that said Kirk “had arrived in Hell.”
At the meeting, Smith said in response to Farkas that he did not regret the retweets. But the following day on his Facebook page, he made a post that read in part: “I apologize to those I may have offended by my personal opinions regarding national affairs. Freedom of speech is absolute, and I use mine to let marginalized people know they have my support.”
On Thursday evening, Oakdale Mayor Cherilyn Bairos issued a letter on her own Facebook page saying that after “thorough, thoughtful and constructive dialogue and after much personal reflection Mr. Smith has voluntarily decided to step down from his position on the city council.”
“I don’t care if you’re left, right or middle, it’s been a tough week for sure,” Bairos told The Bee. “And so this decision has been made and we just have to move forward.”
The resignation comes at a time when other members of the political left have been fired or otherwise punished for comments involving Kirk, most recently, the indefinite suspension of comedian Jimmy Kimmel after pressure by the FCC.
Bairos said she’s been talking with Smith since Tuesday and that the Oakdale city manager considered the cost of a special election in response to the Monday meeting.
When asked if she directly asked Smith to resign, she said “We’ve had a lot of conversations about it. I’ll just leave it at that.”
Also Thursday evening at the Waterford City Council meeting, Talbott was at the center of a heated public comment about her refusal to participate in the Kirk vigil on behalf of the Stanislaus County Democratic Party. She received both praise and condemnation from several members of the public.
“No one should be called to resign for refusing to elevate hate,” one person said during public comment. “If anything, this council member deserves respect for standing firm in her values even under political pressure.”
At time of reporting Friday, there has been no statement made by Smith himself and he has not responded to multiple attempts to contact him.
Talbott has not responded to requests for comment following the Thursday evening meeting.
“This has definitely put division in our community and I just want to unite everyone back together again,” Bairos said.
This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 3:58 PM.
