Leading QAnon promoter files 'statement of intent' to run for Congress in Arizona

One day after a photo went viral of QAnon conspiracy theorist Ron Watkins with Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, he has reportedly filed papers for a potential run for office himself.

"It looks like Ron Watkins, a prominent figure in the QAnon movement who many believe is Q himself, filed paperwork indicating he might run for Congress from Arizona on Thursday," VICE News reported Thursday. "If he goes through with it, Watkins would be by far the most prominent QAnon figure to run for office in the U.S., further evidence of how much the conspiracy theory-based movement has become intertwined with the modern Republican Party."

Watkins filed a "statement of interest" with the Arizona Secretary of State's office for the state's first congressional district, potentially challenging Rep. Tom O'Halleran (D-AZ).

"Watkins didn't respond to requests for comment either from the email address associated with the paperwork or another one which VICE News has previously used to communicate with him. But he is almost definitely the person who filed the paperwork. Someone with access to an email account that Watkins has previously used filed the statement of interest. A staffer at the Arizona Secretary of State's office told VICE News that people 'must have access to the email address used' and verify it in order to be able to submit a statement of intent, meaning Watkins or someone he gave access to the email address must have been the one to submit the paperwork," the publication explained.