Scott Esk, a conservative Christian who believes sexually active gay people should be stoned to death because the Bible says so, is on the verge of becoming a state representative in Oklahoma.

Esk advanced to a runoff after a GOP primary back in June, and that runoff is taking place today. State House District 87 has been one of the few Democratic districts in the state for the past several years, but the incumbent is retiring, which opens the door for a possible flip.

But those comments Esk made years ago are now coming back to haunt him.

It was 2013. Pope Francis had just delivered one of the iconic lines of his papacy, saying of gay people, “Who am I to judge?” In a subsequent conversation about that statement on Facebook, Esk repeatedly cited Leviticus 20:13 and said men who sleep with men should be executed. Even when another commenter tried to get Esk away from “regurgitat[ing] scripture” to find out what he really believed, Esk doubled down and said, “I think we would be totally in the right to do it.” ...