The ‘weirdo progressive’ son of the Oath Keepers founder running for office in Montana

Dakota Adams, 27, entered politics after escaping life with Stewart Rhodes, who is in prison for his role in January 6

Adam Gabbatt
Wed 19 Jun 2024 08.00 EDT

With his thick eyeliner, long blond hair and leather jacket, Dakota Adams does not look like a typical politician.

The 27-year-old, who is running as a progressive Democrat in a deep-red, rural corner of Montana, doesn’t have a typical politician backstory either.

Adams is the son of Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right Oath Keepers militia group who last year was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the January 6 insurrection. Adams grew up in what he describes as an environment of “extreme isolation and paranoia” – a situation he and his siblings escaped in 2018, when their mother left Rhodes.

In the last few years, Adams has been focusing on building his life. He was educated at home while his father led the Oath Keepers, and while he was a voracious reader, other subjects were neglected – a lack of ability with times tables meant he couldn’t earn his high school diploma.

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