Arizona Congressional Candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia Details Sexual Assault While Campaigning
Arizona candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia shares details of a recent sexual assault while repairing campaign signs, sparking calls for safety.
POLICY WIRE — Sun City, Arizona — Democratic congressional candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia is speaking out after being sexually assaulted while working on campaign signage this past August. The candidate, who is running against Republican Representative Abe Hamadeh in Arizona’s 8th District, believes the attack was a crime of opportunity rather than a targeted political hit.
Greene-Placentia recounted that she was ambushed from behind by two men in a parking lot near 99th Avenue and Bell Road during the early morning hours of August 14. She stated that while she does not believe she was followed, she felt certain her attackers recognized her identity as a candidate because she was repairing a sign featuring her own image.
The candidate reported the incident to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on August 31, roughly two weeks after the assault occurred. According to police records, she was knocked unconscious during the struggle but managed to fight back and kick her attackers until they fled the scene.
Physical evidence remains scarce as Greene-Placentia did not seek a forensic exam or immediate medical attention, and she had already laundered the clothing worn during the incident. She described the suspects as two white men, noting that one was wearing black boots.
Security footage from her landlord provided an 85-minute timeline, showing her leaving her home at 12:15 a.m. and returning in a battered state at 1:40 a.m. Greene-Placentia expressed hope that local businesses might possess additional surveillance footage that could assist investigators.
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Representative Hamadeh issued a statement urging law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation and exhaust all leads, including the search for camera footage, to ensure the perpetrators are prosecuted. He emphasized that no American should face such violence within their own community.
Addressing criticism regarding her decision to work alone at night, Greene-Placentia explained that underfunded campaigns often perform sign maintenance during the early morning hours to avoid the extreme 115-degree Arizona heat and heavy traffic. She also highlighted the financial strain on smaller campaigns, noting that she lacks the budget to hire professional security despite growing safety concerns.
The incident occurs against a backdrop of rising political violence in the United States, with data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies indicating that partisan-driven attacks have nearly tripled since 2016. Experts attribute this trend to intense political rhetoric, online conspiracy theories, and deep-seated partisanship.
Despite the trauma, Greene-Placentia, a veteran long-haul trucker, confirmed she has no intention of suspending her campaign. She stated that speaking out is a way to reclaim the power that was temporarily taken from her during the assault.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
