Illinois Republican who says gays cause tornadoes and autism defies party by running for Congress again

An extreme right-wing Republican candidate who believes that tornadoes are God's punishment for LGBT tolerance has filed a petition to be on the ballot in the race to represent Illinois' 9th Congressional District in Congress.

According to suburban Chicago's Daily Herald, Susanne Atanus filed petition signatures on Monday in Cook County.

When Atanus surprisingly won the Republican primary for Congress in 2014, local and state Republicans attempted to have her removed from the running due to her extreme views, which include the belief that God punishes widespread LGBT acceptance in the form of autism, dementia and extreme weather events, including tornadoes and earthquakes.

Atanus was beaten in the general election by Democrat Jan Schakowsky.

Cook County GOP Chairman Aaron Del Mar told Mike Riopell of the Daily Herald that it is a certainty that her petitions will be challenged by Republicans within the party "for sure."

"We will not support her at all," Del Mar said. "We don't want anything to do with her."

“I am a conservative Republican and I believe in God first,” Atanus said to editors at the Daily Herald in 2014.

“God is angry. We are provoking him with abortions and same-sex marriage and civil unions,” Atanus said. “Same-sex activity is going to increase AIDS. If it’s in our military it will weaken our military. We need to respect God.”

The Republican primary for the 9th District Congressional race takes place on March 15.

Watch a video including Atanus' controversial remarks, embedded below: