Vandalism plagues candidates, Gorman latest victim
by Kathleen Stinson

ANTHEM – State Rep. Pamela Gorman, of Anthem, opened her front door Sunday morning to find a pile of campaign signs spray painted with obscenities.

The vandal had collected a number of Republican campaign signs, spray painted them with obscenities such as drawings of male genitalia, crossed out the candidates’ names, and dumped them on her front porch.

Included among the heap of mangled Gorman campaign signs was other Republican signage: Bill Montgomery for Attorney General and Len Munsil for Governor, as well as Sam Crump and Doug Clark for State Representative.

“The mangled wires and signs looked like the act of a psychotic person or an extremely angry person,” Gorman said.

A Republican representative for District 6, Gorman is currently running for the State Senate. 

Democrat Jim Larson is her opponent in the November election.

Larson issued a statement on Monday that he condemns the vandalism experienced by his opponent. This vandalism occurred the day following defacement of a number of his campaign signs by the application of stickers “citing an unmentionable affiliation,” Larson said.

“The perpetrators of this action have not damaged the reputation of concerned candidates but instead cast a bad reflection on themselves,” he stated.

Gorman estimates she found about a dozen defaced signs on her porch. In addition, several Munsil, Crump and Clark campaign signs stacked in her yard were stolen. She reported the incident to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office that morning.

This recent vandalism crosses the line, Gorman said, from past tactics of uprooting her signs to now  the obscenities and trespassing.

The whole thing was a little scary, Gorman related, adding that she had to have a discussion with her 10‑year‑old son about why anyone would do such a thing.

Gorman said she does not think her opponent had anything to do with the vandalism.

Reach the reporter at kathleen@thedesertadvocate.com.