Collins’ Biddeford Office Vandalized Before Election Day
Red paint was poured onto the sidewalk outside the office, and the words “Blood on her hands” were written nearby. Biddeford police received a call about the damage at about 11 p.m. on November 2. The paint had been washed away by Tuesday morning, November 3, and police were investigating, Collins’ campaign said.
Chief of Staff Katie Brown said the incident was the second attempt to intimidate Collins and her staff at the Biddeford office. She said staff members remained at work despite the vandalism.
The office was targeted before, on September 28, when someone painted an insult on its doors. Collins has also said her Bangor home was egged before that incident. In July, protesters entered the Biddeford office after an immigration enforcement officer fatally shot 26-year-old Johan Sebastián Guerrero in the city.
The vandalism came as Collins faced Democrat Troy Jackson in a close Senate race. Several polls in the days before the election showed Jackson with a narrow lead. Collins was seeking a sixth term, and her seat was viewed as important to Republicans’ effort to retain control of the Senate. Jackson condemned the September office vandalism, saying Collins and her employees deserved to do their jobs without damage to their workplace.
Vandalism Targets Collins as Maine Voters Weigh Her Record
Red paint and the words “Blood on her hands” appeared outside Sen. Susan Collins’ Biddeford office hours before Election Day. Police received a call at about 11 p.m. on November 2 and were investigating, according to Collins’ campaign.
The damage comes as voters consider Collins’ record and the issues surrounding her office. In July, an immigration enforcement officer fatally shot 26-year-old Johan Sebastián Guerrero in Biddeford, and protesters later entered the office. The vandalism does not excuse intimidation or damage to a workplace, but it should not eclipse the public questions at the center of the race.
Collins’ chief of staff, Katie Brown, said it was the second attempt to intimidate the senator and her employees at the office. It had also been defaced in September, and Collins has said her Bangor home was egged.
Democrat Troy Jackson condemned the September incident. He is challenging Collins in a close contest, with several recent polls showing him narrowly ahead. Collins is seeking a sixth term, and the outcome could matter to which party controls the Senate.
Anti-Collins Vandalism Escalates Ahead of Maine Senate Vote
The words “Blood on her hands” were scrawled outside Collins’ office, and red paint was poured across the sidewalk. The attack came hours before Maine voters decided a close Senate race, and police were investigating after receiving a call at about 11 p.m. on November 2.
Collins’ chief of staff, Katie Brown, said this was the second attempt to intimidate the senator and her staff at the Biddeford location. The office had been defaced in September, and Collins has said her Bangor home was egged. Political disagreement cannot justify targeting elected officials’ workplaces or families.
The office is near the site of a July shooting in which an immigration enforcement officer killed 26-year-old Johan Sebastián Guerrero. Protesters later entered the office. Those disputes may be politically charged, but vandalism is not a substitute for peaceful debate or voting.
Democrat Troy Jackson, Collins’ opponent, condemned the September vandalism. Collins is seeking a sixth term in a race that could affect control of the Senate. Her staff said it would continue working despite the latest attack.
Reported by The Daily Wire, Fox News, Denver7, The Daily Beast, CNN, Breitbart, Boston.com.
