Horror in Arizona: Democratic congressional candidate says she was raped while repairing campaign sign

Bernadette Greene-Placentia, the Democratic congressional candidate for Arizona, reported that she was raped while repairing one of her campaign signs in a parking lot. According to her interview with The Phoenix New Times, the incident occurred in August in Sun City, within Maricopa County.

Greene-Placentia is a long-haul truck driver who won the Democratic nomination for the House of Representatives District 8 seat. She will face Republican Abe Hamadeh in November.

According to the Democrat's account to the aforementioned media outlet, the attack occurred in the early hours of a Friday morning as she was crossing a parking lot to repair a damaged sign — something she had done dozens of times over the summer.

Suddenly, a first assailant struck her on the head, and she lost consciousness. When she woke up, the man was sexually assaulting her. A second man approached; she tried to kick him, and he backed away. "The two men left Greene-Placentia face down in the parking lot," reported The Phoenix New Times.

Greene-Placentia said her memories of that night are fragmented. According to her account, she does not remember how she got up or how she returned home, and she retains only "small flashes" of the event. She said she heard the assailant mutter a phrase that her mind interpreted as an insult directed at Democrats, though she clarified that she is not sure what he said.

When did she report it?

According to the aforementioned media outlet, the candidate had virtually no contact with her campaign team or her husband during the two days following the incident. Greene-Placentia said that at first she didn't want to report it because she felt ashamed and wanted to "forget it," though she later changed her mind.

The Democrat filed the report by phone with the sheriff more than two weeks later. The Sheriff's Office confirmed to Newsweek that it took the report on Aug. 31. "I need women to know that it's okay to talk about this," she said in an interview with The Phoenix New Times.

The two Democratic senators commented on Greene-Placentia's account on social media.

"I’m absolutely heartbroken to hear this news, and I’m thinking of Bernadette and her loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. We cannot tolerate political or sexual violence in any form. Those responsible must be held accountable. Thank you for speaking out, Bernadette. We're with you," said Democratic Senator Rubén Gallego.

Senator Mark Kelly posted the following on his X account: "What happened to Bernadette Greene-Placentia is an outrage. It took real courage for her to speak publicly about something so painful. The criminal who did this must be found and held fully accountable."