Arizona Candidate Proposes Referendum on Age of Consent

An Arizona Senate debate on Thursday night sparked controversy after the Libertarian Party candidate argued that the age of consent should be "up for a vote."

Marc Victor was debating with Democratic incumbent Senator Mark Kelly and Blake Masters, his Republican challenger, who are locked in a tight battle that could determine who controls Congress.

While Victor is only polling in single figures, his comments during the debate sparked an angry reaction online, with one local libertarian group disavowing the remarks.

During the debate Victor said: "We are a constitutional republic, not an unrestricted democracy. Today everything is up for a vote.

"Very little should be up for a vote, like for example who should represent the good people of the state of Arizona – that should be up for a vote. What should the age of consent be? This is something that reasonable minds disagree on. That should be up for a vote."

Speaking to Newsweek, Victor said the age you can have sex, drink alcohol and even legally enter into a contract should be decided by a public vote.

He said: "The age of consent for sex is one of those questions where reasonable people can disagree."

However, Victor clarified that people should only be able to vote on the age of consent for sex within a "reasonable range," which he suggested could be determined by the Supreme Court.

He said: "The minimum threshold makes sense. We have to first establish what is a reasonable range.

"I think 17 or 18 are reasonable choices, 19 might be reasonable as well in some places.

"The age of consent to have sex is not a question that I think has an objectively right answer.

"Step one is we should identify what is a reasonable range that people can choose from and then step two, let's put that question on the ballot and let people choose."

Speaking to Newsweek Libertarian Party chair Angela McArdle distanced the party from Victor's comments.

She said: "The Libertarian Party platform supports the rights of children to be free from abuse and neglect.

"While we are well aware of how teenagers behave and that most relationships between 17 and 18-year-olds who are still in high school do not warrant much controversy, we do not support any type of abuse of minors, especially young children who are incapable of consent."

After the debate, the Arizona Mises Caucus, a local libertarian group, rejected Victor's position in a post on Twitter.

They said: "We disagree with Marc Victor's comment on age of consent. Our focus is on ending the wars, inflation, the drug war, the police state & government overreach. Libertarians should be using our platform to address the real issues that affect real Americans, this was embarrassing."

A recent Emerson College poll put Senator Kelly two points ahead of Masters in the Arizona Senate race, with the backing of 47 percent of voters against 45 percent.

According to CNN, Masters has recently removed text from his website claiming if the 2020 presidential election had been "free and fair" Donald Trump "would be sitting in the Oval Office."

A number of courts and independent election experts have concluded that Trump lost the 2020 election fairly.

Update 10/08/22 3:55 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with comment from the Libertarian Party.